Close Enough
by Yarrie - Water Master
Summary: As a bridesmaid, Izumi discovers that weddings are some of the most annoying things on earth. Kouji agrees. Whatever happened to happily ever after? Kouzumi
1. Prologue: For better and for worse

So I'm starting a new story, because I want to. I have no idea what possessed me. But if my gut instinct is accurate, then it's going to be a pretty long haul. Damn.

Disclaimer: Do not own Digimon. Kouzumi would be more...canon if I did.

* * *

**Prologue: For better and for worse...**

* * *

_Love is like a river_

_It eats away the will_

_Taking from the mind  
_

_And leaving just the chill  
_

* * *

"Achoo!"

One sunny Friday morning, Izumi Orimoto marked the tenth anniversary of _that day_, known only to her and her other four friends as the beginning of their surreal journey in another world.

Now, sitting on her bed and sneezing from the dust that covered her mementos, it felt even less real than it had when she lived through it. She barely remembered what actually happened, only the people that accompanied her along the way.

Tomoki. Junpei. Takuya. Kouichi. _Kouji_…

People who she lost contact with bit by bit, as emails went from daily to weekly, monthly to yearly, and finally to nothing.

Friends that went on to have their own lives.

As if that would ever be able to separate them…

The door bell suddenly rang, interrupting her train of thought. She peeked over the windowsill and grinned. Speak of the devil.

Eagerness took over and she dashed out so fast that the picture album nearly knocked to the floor. As it was, the binder hung precariously over the edge of the bed.

As soon as the door opened the first visitor threw her arms around Izumi so suddenly that she nearly tumbled to the floor.

"Mimi!" Laughing, Izumi pulled her friend to the kitchen table. "Sit!"

Her classmate grinned and shook her head quickly. "No can do. I want you to come with me to see someone!" The last word was emphasized by a casual flick of long brown hair and a mischievous wink.

Izumi caught the look and sighed. "It's not another blind date, is it?"

"No, no, it's _better_. It's my fiancé…" She trailed off, cheekily.

"He finally proposed?!"

Mimi grabbed her hands. "Yes!"

"So then…"

"Hm?" Dreamily.

"You'll be…Kimura Mimi?"

Giggle. "Yeah."

Another voice, much calmer than hers, rose up right behind her. "Yeah." The newcomer leaned over Mimi's shoulder and grinned at Izumi.

"Kouichi!" Her voice was still warm with the delight that came from suddenly finding him in her freshman writing class after going so long without meeting a single one of their little group. It was strange how quickly things changed and reverted back to that old camaraderie. It was strange how quickly she had accepted it and forgotten her loneliness entirely.

So much like that time, ten years before…Izumi lost herself in her memories until she was called back by a question that she failed to hear.

"Huh?"

"You're not surprised?" Kouichi raised his eyebrow, mock hurt covering the strange elation in his voice.

"Oh, of course not! Only that you had the guts to actually do it, you know." She winked.

Kouichi laughed and Mimi's eyes brightened suddenly. Izumi had the sinking feeling that she had just missed something.

"So you'll come?"

"Huh?"

"To my wedding?"

"Oh…Oh! Of course," she smiled warmly even though she still felt that odd sense of anticipation and foreboding dripping from their conversation. "I'd be a very bad friend if I didn't!"

The triumph in Mimi's eyes told Izumi that she had just sealed her fate.

"Then it's settled! You'll have to come have dinner with everybody!"

"Everybody?"

"Our families." Kouichi supplied helpfully. But there was a knowing look in his eyes that made her throat suddenly dry up, because that one (short, too short) journey of a lifetime was enough for her to learn all sorts of things about him, both spoken and unspoken. And to know that whatever he was thinking, it probably involved her in situations she would rather not be in.

Like across the table from _him_.


	2. Chapter 1: For richer and for poorer

Okay, sort of part 2 of the prologue, I guess? Probably the fastest update I've EVER done.

It's a bit shorter, but I didn't feel like the two parts went together well, so this is Chapter 1. Enjoy, read, and review!

Just found a scene that I accidentally deleted, so I edited the entire thing and reposted. Sorry for the inconvenience?

* * *

**Chapter 1: For richer and for poorer

* * *

**

_Love is the tide_

_That rushes in_

_Back and forth_

_Without an end

* * *

_

Kouji _usually_ prided himself on his stoicism. It took a great deal of poking, prodding, aggravation, and time to ruffle his feathers. In fact, among his fellow students it was widely supposed that he had only two faces: sleeping and bored. (Not that he ever paid much attention to what others thought about him.)

For the most part, however, they were right. He had many acquaintances, mostly classmates, but very few friends. And of those few, a disproportionate number also went to the Digital World with him. And of _those_ few, he didn't even keep in touch after the first few years.

There was, however, one very important exception: his brother.

After he finally found family that he never even knew that he lost, Kouji pursued his relationship with his twin almost to the exclusion of everybody else. Even after his father's job demanded yet another relocation, even after they found less and less free time in high school, even after they went to separate colleges, they managed to keep tabs on one another. For the most part, they spoke of anything and everything that had happened, no matter how small. It was a way to insure themselves against the distance that had risen between the rest of their original group.

Kouji followed this pattern rigidly. Kouichi did the same, up until that very year.

It was therefore very frustrating that _Kouichi didn't tell him about his engagement._

Or, rather, didn't tell him until well after the fact.

That is, some two months after.

So, like most people, Kouji was quite** pissed**.

But unlike most people, Kouji showed it by arranging an introductory dinner.

A _dinner_.

Perhaps his stoicism was still alive and kicking somewhere after all.

The problem, if it could be called a problem, was that the parents caught wind of it and decided it would be a grand time to call for a family reunion. Which meant, of course, that he would be expected to host a very extensive social gathering, because it was originally his idea.

Note that Kouji was not exactly the best person to host anything involving more than ten words. But now, being swamped with aunts and uncles and cousins-twice something or another, he was clinging to his last strand of sanity by the tip of his little finger. It was awkward enough at the dinner table with only his nuclear family, but the additional people just compounded his natural reclusiveness. Only his position as a host kept him from fleeing the scene altogether, but even that reason seemed to lose its power as the night wore on.

Kouichi wasn't much of a help, either. In fact, he seemed to blend perfectly with the crowd and the lights and the _noise_…parties were much more Kouichi's element than they were Kouji's, and now their respective comfort levels showed it.

And said brother was currently having quite a laugh at his younger twin's predicament.

"Kouji, you do know that you asked for it, right?"

"Kouichi, you do know that I know where you live, right?"

Although he always laughed off the threats, which didn't exactly improve Kouji's mood. If looks could kill, the engagement would have already been broken from the loss of one participant. Even now, he still kept the possibility of strangling in the back of his mind, ready to be used at the slightest moment's notice. However…

"Brother, would you like to meet Mimi now?"

The dinner wasn't altogether useless. If nothing else, he couldn't complain about Kouichi's easy agreement to attend the family function so that Kouji could finally meet his twin's fiancée. Dislike of secrets had built up tension between them, and Kouji was more or less happy to have cooperation on that front. He answered Kouichi's question with a curt nod, and followed his older brother into the mass of people.

When he finally saw her, the first words out of his mouth were "_You're_ Mimi?"

Which wasn't too bad, all things considered. He could have said "You're PINK." Because she really was, and his mood still retained the sour edge that excessive socialization always added to his already serious character.

To her credit, she had made an effort to look pretty for the meeting. Her hair was in a French braid, looped over both ears and neatly pinned with a cream ribbon. The pink dress was soft and muted and hung off her shoulders enticingly, but tightened underneath and covered her torso. She had smooth skin, naturally pink lips enhanced by only a spot of gloss, and a smile that seemed to glow with its brilliance. Her appearance naturally walked the line between too plain and too beautiful, a kind of balance that couldn't be snubbed.

She opened her mouth and said, "Hi." Inside, a nervous quiver burst out from the close scrutiny Kouji gave her, but she refused to show him her discomfort. "Hi." Be brave. Be brave.

After a few minutes he pronounced, "You're alright." But her hair was too brown, her skin too pale, she was missing those little freckles on the nose, and she wore pink, not purple. And her eyes… His lips thinned and his eyes drew out of focus. It was a bit of a struggle, now, to remember exact shades and details, but…

_It's not __**her**__._

And he was sure of it, tasted both pleasure and longing in the thought. And looking even closer, he saw the small details that all pointed to the same conclusion. She was nervous, but hadn't bitten her lip. And even more tellingly, she hadn't stared right back, daring him to say something. Being regarded as "alright" would have never sat right with _her_, but the easygoing acceptance that Mimi radiated made his heart contract mournfully.

So many differences, but what did he expect? Kouichi may have been his twin, but that was it: they weren't the same person.

Mimi and Kouichi both breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they grinned at each other.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yes, it was. What are you talking about?" Mimi giggled softly. "Is he okay, by the way?"

Kouichi look back over at his brother, whose glare was now aimed at his wine glass. He sighed. "Probably."

"Just probably?"

A shrug, a meaningful half-smile. "Who knows?"

More whispers. More knowing glances.

They left Kouji to himself, rolling his wine glass between his fingers and watching a pair of birds rise up against a backdrop of roses. Their wingtips snapped over and over in a complex kind of dance. One moved forward, the other back, over and over, switching positions now and then and throwing extra flair with a dive or two. A faint breeze fluttered the petals behind them, and they flew away in a storm of loose feathers.

One dropped against the roses, so he pulled it off. It felt soft and downy under his fingers, and he crushed it with a sudden squeeze of his palm.

The pieces fluttered to the ground.

He went back inside.


	3. Chapter 2: In sickness and in health

Okay, another pretty fast update, courtesy of being stuck at a big Thanksgiving party without Internet...

This follows the original format of the first and second chapter, though I ended up splitting it. As a result, it's much longer than the other two, but only time will tell which layout I will end up using. It's still kind of fuzzy.

Yes, there will eventually be romance. Eventually. I hope I can keep you entertained until then. This is the last chapter of the exposition, though, thank god. Things will finally get interesting after this.

**Chapter 2: In sickness and in health**

**

* * *

**_Love is like a needle  
_

_Waiting to be found  
_

_Sharp enough to be used_

_To wear a person down.  
_

* * *

God, it was hot in here.

Izumi fanned herself desperately with her right hand, her left currently occupied by a glass of some kind of alcohol – she didn't necessarily want to know which kind. Mimi had disappeared a little while ago, and now she was passing the time watching the birds flutter about the garden.

'Garden' was too simplistic to actually describe the place in all its glory. Vibrant rows of wisteria, hydrangeas, and chrysanthemums painted the sides of the veranda. To the back, long strings of ivy took residence in the wooden awning, and the furniture was a soft creamy color that melted into the slate floor. She was pretty sure that the china dishes set out were more expensive than her college tuition, and there were so many of them! Closer to the congregation of people, islands of double-flowered roses took root in a dazzling array of color. Lilies circled around the iron-wrought fence and a garland of orchids crowned the gate.

Everything was meticulously perfect. She could only imagine how long it took to arrange the entire thing with so many people, although Kouichi claimed that his brother had managed it in little more than a week.

His brother…

Distractedly swirling the red liquid in her glass, she settled down onto a park bench and tried to push her mind past the memories that suddenly swamped her. She succeeded, somewhat. The fluttery feeling in her stomach swelled up, though, and refused to retreat. Vindictively, she clamped her free arm over her abdomen and took a deep breath.

His brother.

Who she was going to meet again, for Kouichi and Mimi_._ Not for herself. _Try to remember that_.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Two very blue eyes stared at her, only a few inches away.

She nearly fell off of the bench. Only years of being friends with, and being scared by, him saved her. Her dress hitched up to her knee when she recoiled and she secured it back down after she was absolutely certain she wouldn't upturn the delicate wicker seat. Then she whipped around to fix him with a very evil glare.

"It's all your fault, Kouichi."

"And how exactly is it _my_ fault?" He laughed. She glared and sniffed irritatedly.

"Because you just had to get married." She pouted and sulked deeper into the bench, fingering her silvery wrap. Mimi had been horrified when Izumi showed up at her house in her original dress, a simple muslin that went to her ankles and covered her entire upper torso area. Literally three hours before the dinner, which really was more of an afternoon snack and late supper rolled into one, she had dragged a protesting Izumi to a boutique to find something more 'suitable.'

She was pretty sure that Mimi's 'suitable' meant 'suitable for a date.' They ended up trying half of the store on her in record time, and decided on a beautiful filmy kind of evening gown that draped over her knees and ended at her calves. Her shoulders were bare except for the thin spidery threads that kept the dress from falling off, and around her arms she wore a translucent silver sash, ends dipped with purple. The skirt was embroidered with the impression of a rose, and the fabric inside of the design was dyed a subtle lilac.

It looked horribly expensive, but Mimi had ushered her out before she could ask how much it was, and three hours later she found herself at the party in the dress, no questions asked.

"Stop worrying about it. You look fine!"

She glared up at him. "And just who is paying for this 'looking fine'?"

He whistled innocently. "Well, you needed a new dress." She almost winced.

"…Coming from you, that probably means a lot, doesn't it?"

"Yes, because I am such a fashion expert."

"I'm sure you are."

"More than you, anyway."

"Hey, my fashion sense is just fine!"

"Well, yes, but you never use it."

She huffed. "It's too expensive." She saw a faint look of guilt rising behind his smile, and frantically tried to backtrack. "I mean, I'm just not used to stuff this fancy, you know…?"

"It's okay." Deep breath.

He had a hurt look in his eyes, and Izumi bit her lip. "Thank you, though. For the gesture."

Kouichi revived quickly – too quickly. Her manipulation alarm sent distress signals to her already fried nerves. She casually shut it up by locking it into the farthest corner of her mind and throwing away the key. It was an experienced move at this point, after years of experience with devilish schemers like Kouichi. It all led up to the realization that thinking too much would only make it worse. But even though she stopped before the hyperventilation stage kicked in, the nagging suspicion left over spotted something very wrong with the situation.

"Where's Mimi?" The shifty look in his eyes confirmed that something was up, although she wasn't sure what it was.

"She's talking." Great, a vague answer.

"To?"

"Erm…" Kouichi trailed off, looking unmistakably guilty. But if she hadn't already thought that the coincidence was too perfect and the excuse too convenient, then this provided her with proof. It had to be a set-up. It was just too bad that she wasn't sure whether to thank him or murder him for it.

She sighed. No use pushing. He was willing to be interrogated, which meant whatever half-baked plan he had in place was already well underway. A pause in the conversation followed, though it was fairly routine and comfortably familiar. Her skin took the time to remind her that it was still _hot_ and that she had stopped fanning herself. Of course, there was air conditioning back at the patio, but the chances of seeing Kouji there inevitably broke down her will to move.

He broke the silence, his fingers tapping a little bit on the back of the bench. "They've started setting out dinner now." Translation: You don't have any time left to run.

"I'm looking forward to it."

His grin was full of hints and intentions.

She felt ill, the butterflies in her stomach reasserting their existence.

Finally taking pity on her, Kouichi gently inclined his head at her empty glass. "Would you like me to fill that for you?"

She blinked, because she didn't realize that she had actually been drinking from it and most certainly didn't realize that she had stopped. It was a sign that she was definitely not thinking straight. "No, it's fine. I'll get it myself…"

"Sure." He looked off into the distance, then stood up and turned to her with a brilliant smile. "See you at dinner."

"Don't remind me," she pleaded quietly, receiving a teasing laugh in reply.

Once Kouichi was securely out of earshot, Izumi leaned back and gave a long, drawn out sigh. She finally allowed herself to think about the source of all her problems. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she didn't want to see Kouji. It wasn't as though they had a history together, and it certainly wasn't true that they had anything to be awkward _over_. And they had always gotten along well, much better than he did with the rest of the group (excepting Kouichi, for obvious reasons). It would do her good, she decided, to just face her fears, whatever they were. But why, oh why, was it so much easier to say that when she was alone than when she was in front of him?

This kind of nervousness should have faded away a long time ago, back in the days of childhood crushes and butterfly kisses. And in fact, it _had_ gone away for some ten odd years, but now it was back with a vengeance. It was a very distinct feeling, one that she remembered very clearly. She didn't particularly care to analyze the exact reason for the return, but if that was what it took...

Absently, she realized that the silver shawl around her shoulders was thrown haphazardly over the chair and would probably rip if she moved too quickly. A few minutes were given to untangling the threads, but with most of her attention elsewhere her fingers were clumsy and inefficient.

She did eventually pull herself free, and figured that lingering around without anyone to talk to would just be prolonging the inevitable. Her breath sucked in, fingers fidgeting and smoothing over her dress. Her heart and stomach both conspired against her, and it took a long time to convince her legs to stand, but eventually they did.

Then she headed over to the veranda.

* * *

When Kouichi returned from wherever he had gone, he discovered that Kouji was taking refuge inside of his father's extensive library, hiding behind rows and rows of well-tended books. The biggest window of the room, which faced the patio where the rest of the party was, lit the room in bright streaks. The largest patch of light fell on a small reading area with a low coffee table and a cushioned loveseat. He was not surprised to find his brother there, all things considered.

It was more a question of why he hadn't left before he did. Kouichi didn't ask. He doubted that Kouji knew why himself.

But at the very least, Kouji knew he was there, if his move from the center of the couch to the side to leave space for another person was any indication. Kouichi sat down in the place offered and leaned back to stare at the light swinging above them. His eyes traced its movement, back and forth around the ironwork and spiraling crystals.

"I keep thinking that that's going to fall on you one day."

For a moment, it didn't appear that Kouji had heard. Then he tilted his head in acknowledgment and opened his mouth to reply. "Death by chandelier?" His lips quirked upward ever so slightly.

The older twin laughed. "Well, stranger things have happened."

"Like you getting brave enough to propose to someone?"

"Hey, I'm not that bad."

"Oh, that's right. You're _worse_." Kouji flipped the book closed and turned to face his twin, a smirk lingering on his face.

"Like you can talk."

"I'm pretty sure I won't spend hours on the phone with my twin to psych myself up for the first date."

"No, you just won't _have _a first date."

"…Shut up, Kouichi."

"You know, this is the perfect opportunity."

"For what?"

"To get a date."

"…Kouichi, as far as I know, there are exactly two people here who aren't related to me. One is your fiancée, the other is the cook. And she's married."

Kouichi stared blankly at him. The grandfather clock behind them clanged softly, six o'clock. Its pendulum clicked back and forth in the silence. Then he burst out laughing. "Kouji, did you even look at the seating arrangement?"

"Huh?"

"Did you look at the seating arrangement?"

"Wasn't that your job? Wait. If you've done something to screw it up, _I_ _will end you._"

"But I've got a fiancée to think about! Please spare me, oh mighty one!" Kouichi's arms flailed dramatically over the edge of the sofa.

His younger brother rolled his eyes. "So what were you saying about the seating?"

"I don't have to _say_ anything." He winked. "You have eyes. Go figure it out."

Kouji sighed in exasperation. "Come on – "

"It's almost dinnertime, anyway."

"Fine."

* * *

Okay guys. Please review. Feedback is always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: Speak now

I really should be finishing up all my homework. Yeah...

...it's not going to get done, is it?

Whatever. I come bearing fic...and very belated thank yous. And the tone of each chapter seems very different, doesn't it? Not really a surprise considering that each one showcases a different character, but I'm surprised that it's so obvious. On the side note, it's time for the chaos and the seriousness to start. Woohoo.

Rave: Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, I really did need to work on my details. If it were just a drabble, it wouldn't be such a big problem, but considering that I've spent three chapters on exposition alone...what I have is not enough. It's ironic, because I usually have trouble _cutting back_. Kouichi is one of my favorite characters. He's just so much fun to write, although he's actually nowhere near as happy as he sounds. XD

* * *

**Chapter 3: Speak now**

* * *

_Love, a tyrant overthrown_

_His kingdom all undone_

_Like a fish blown away_

_And flipping in the sun_

_

* * *

_

While Kouichi usually tried to deal with his brother as directly as he could, he occasionally felt as though talking to him was just like talking to brick wall.

A very _dense_ brick wall.

Not that it was a problem with intelligence. This was taken for granted between the two of them, because Kouji just...didn't have that kind of problem. And it was similarly taken for granted that most of the problems that plagued Kouji just...didn't happen to most people. This had never bothered either of them. Their relationship was made up of mutual support and mutual benefits, and Kouichi couldn't deny that he felt more or less happy to be needed.

Especially since he once spent so much time thinking about his own expandability as a son. The affection that he felt cheated out of was easily secured from his younger twin, once they broke through the enemy lines. But no matter how close they became or how much they understood each other, it made him feel somewhat sick that he used Kouji to replace the acceptance he still wanted from the other half of his family.

Kouichi wasn't stupid. He knew better than anyone else that the real reason Kouji had protested against a full-out family reunion was the still unhealed breach between their parents. It didn't help that the break had extended over the years to the rest of the family. An enormous schism had appeared from the divorce and time just pasted a bandage over the infected wound, and _he_ was the irritant that made that mask peel off.

These thoughts stung, but when they were released to a sympathetic ear, whether over the phone or on the rare personal visit, the tension evaporated smoothly into nothing. The therapeutic conversations helped even more when they were pushed to deal with the other involved parties, namely their parents. Kouichi couldn't even count the number of times he had called his brother in a flash of panic, often after nightmares or in the middle of the school day, or any other time when most people would have just hung up.

He couldn't count the number of times Kouji had set everything aside just to listen to him, either.

If nothing else, however, the passage of time had done him the favor of apathy. It no longer bothered him that everyone else gave him a wide berth in their conversations, or that the only people who had actually spoken more than two words to him were his brother, his fiancee, and...

Izumi.

Who had been little less than a miracle worker as far as his brother was concerned. In a year she managed to draw him out of a shell ten years in the making, forced out a sense of chivalry he never knew he had, and captivated him in a way that no one else had been able to do in all twenty years of his life. Her arrival blasted him with someone more persistent and cheerfully uncaring than he had ever seen, and it was just as fascinating as it was annoying.

And the biggest wonder of all: she never gave up on him.

Then her emails stopped coming, and Kouichi awoke to the dread that his brother would withdraw again. Their group was dissolving and the network vanishing, and the gentle prodding from the others to keep on going suddenly wasn't _there_ anymore. The interdependent connections teetered and nearly collapsed, and their relationship stagnated to a slow drip. They stayed in a kind of limbo for a long time before Kouji almost returned to normal just as suddenly as he had stopped. His efforts to keep in touch with the rest of humanity, unfortunately, were now limited to Kouichi and Kouichi only, and it looked like it would stay that way.

Reality, though, seemed to actually understand the concepts of justice and fairness, and _handed_ Izumi back as a sort of whimsical peace offering after years of beating up on both of them. But finding her again came about so suddenly that it still made him look at her, hard, every time they met just to make sure she wasn't going to vanish. No, it was either luck or fate, and Kouichi didn't believe in either until he found her again. _Too good to be true_ became _true_, and as sudden as it was, it was surprisingly easy to reestablish the old trust and mutual understanding that they once had. It offered new sources of hope.

He had never been so relieved and happy and angry at the same time.

But god knows they deserved the break.

Even if Kouji didn't seem willing to give it a chance.

Kouichi watched his twin glance unseeingly through the windows as they strolled out the library's southern door. Incidentally, it was the exit farthest from the porch where the mass of people was now organizing into neat rows along the two tables. The walk outside took twice as long as it would have if he had used the door right next to the large window, but Kouji was stalling. He was in no hurry to be back in the middle of a crowd.

Kouichi felt a sudden jolt of frustration.

They had tried - Takuya, Tomoki, and him - back before they all lost each other to growing pains. They had tried to push the two together in the meddlesome way that only children who were too old to be children would. To be fair, locking them into a closet together probably wasn't the best idea in the world. Particularly since Izumi had her slap and Kouji his punch, and neither held back for the sake of friendship.

But done was done. And since the pair never showed any awkwardness when left alone, the others assumed it was mission accomplished.

And Kouichi himself knew for a fact that the two had exchanged contact information, quietly and out of view of the others.

What he didn't know was why they never used it.

From what Kouji told him, they exchanged exactly one email, seven years ago. Kouichi asked several times what it was about, but was refused each time. _Aniki, I can't even remember anymore. _And the reply was always, always, punctuated by the same question: _Why is it so important?_

Kouji wasn't stupid, either. But he had to be the densest brick wall in the history of brick walls if he didn't realize what should have happened a long time ago.

And now, here they were, after it never happened.

In front of a glass door, leading to the outside, where the future was waiting with a carrot and a pitchfork.

It had to be the slowest walk they had ever taken together. Kouichi glanced at his brother, wondering if the boy had figured it out from his clues. He wasn't expecting much, but it was dangerous to underestimate him. A quiet, content feeling washed over him, a feeling of oncoming goodbyes and a trust that they would know what to do if given half the chance. It was suitably covering the fangirlish glee.

He felt happy enough to dance around like a lunatic, but restrained himself to keep his brother unaware of the potential blackmail source...

Kouji stopped just before the exit and his older brother nearly ran into him.

There was absolute and complete silence for quite a while, until Kouichi leaned over to see what the hold up was.

And for once, he hated the two large windows that provided them and the people outside with a clear view of each other. The sun was already in its slow descent, and the dying rays no longer glared obstructively in the glass panes. The white curtains had been pushed aside once the blinding light faded, leaving just an opening between the inside and the outside.

Kouji was inside. Izumi was outside.

Kouji was staring straight at Izumi.

And Izumi was staring back.

Until Kouji turned his heel, slammed blindly against his brother's shoulder, and used the space left behind to storm back into the complex system of corridors that led to the rest of the house. Several doors slammed loudly in his wake, and the sound echoed against the walls.

Kouichi cursed, and ran after him. He threw open the door that Kouji had disappeared into, and watched the tips of his long hair flick up and disappear through another.

He didn't go after him. Kouji was more familiar with the house than he was, and even if he did find him, there was very little good he could do. At any point, once Kouji calmed himself down, he would be obliged to return for his duty as a host. Kouichi _knew_ the Kouji that was calm and logical and willing to ignore himself for the sake of duty. But this was the Kouji that sometimes appeared out of the blue, moody and turbulent, something unknown to his older brother. It was better to catch him on the way back, when his logical side was in more control, when he was more willing to listen.

But until then, the best Kouichi could do was bash his head against the doorway and sing _Woe is me_.

"Kouichi!" A faint voice called and he turned to see a whip of blond hair fly past the back door and settle next to him.

Or he could try option number three.

He smiled weakly. "Hey."

"Was that...?"

"Yeah." Kouichi lifted his head and rolled around the entry until he was facing the center of the room again. He looked at the other door, then at Izumi.

Izumi toyed with her sash nervously, well aware of Kouichi's unspoken request. They both stared quite hopelessly at the wooden door. It was incredible how large and insurmountable an obstacle it appeared that very moment, only half closed and completely unlocked. The hinges creaked and the weight of the door settled more firmly against the threshold, giving a low moan of protest at its mistreatment.

She broke the silence. "I don't suppose you know where he's gone?"

"That would be too convenient. It's usually the library. But that hallway takes you away from it. He's probably trying to avoid me," he admitted almost shamelessly.

"Dinner is at six thirty."

"Yeah. You have twenty minutes."

"...shoot."

She took a deep breath. Kouichi worried quietly about how she would fare in the big house, but his overwhelming trust in her instincts overrode his logic in a dizzying triumph. She would find him if she wanted to find him. For now, he was thankful that she had taken charge again. It had been a surprise finding her, true, but it had been even more of a surprise when she tried to avoid all mentions of his brother like the plague. The purposeful, nervous evasion had to be a recent development, and one that he was glad to see gone.

"If you keep to the main hallway," he sweeped his arm past one of the elegant, carved doors of the entryway, "he'll probably in one of the rooms there. They're the only ones that have locks on each door."

The prospect of invading his privacy hung in the air, and for a moment neither of them made a move. Hesitation, reflection, indecision. Then she swallowed and murmured, "I should probably go." Kouichi stole a look inside the library, at the grandfather clock inside. It clanged again, one time. Six fifteen.

"You know what, just forget about the time."

"Eh?"

"Find him, bring him back in one piece."

"Am I allowed to drag him?"

"As long as he's in one piece."

She laughed merrily, and Kouichi's mood lifted with the healthy banter.

At least something good had come out of the situation. If they didn't talk, then there really was no hope. Although the next time he decided to try his hand at matchmaking, he was definitely making sure that the curtains were closed.

"I don't think your parents will be happy if he's all beat up and dusty."

"True. Be gentle when dragging him then."

"I will."

"Good luck."

"Thought you didn't believe in luck," she shot back dryly.

"I do now."

He left her inside an almost empty house.

"Great."


	5. Chapter 4: Or forever

Kouji wouldn't cooperate with me for the longest time - it was very difficult to write this next part, and finals didn't really help. Now that all the rush is gone, here we are!

I promised serious, and here I have serious. I think that's why it was so hard to write?

Thank you to all my reviewers! I really needed the encouragement this time!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Or forever...  
**

* * *

_Love, as the dream_

_Against reality_

_Right in between_

_It splits equally  
_

_

* * *

_The sound of a tapping finger echoed lightly against the mahogany table. Aside from the lamp standing in the middle, glowing eerily in the middle of the darkened room, there was hardly any lighting. Sunlight had already vanished completely into blossoming violets over the night sky. From the center of the room to the window, the only thing that could be seen of the outside was a rectangle of clouds and atmosphere. Faint blue light escaped the curtains to streak across the marble floor.

Kouji rubbed varnish off the desk with his thumb and forefinger and absently noted that the moon was almost full, but not quite. He didn't make a move to turn on the ceiling lights, and in fact showed no signs of even noticing the darkness around him. The marks of solitude closed in on him, equal parts threatening and soothing.

His lips were pulled back into a grim line.

His mind was racing.

But his heart, his heart felt completely empty.

If anybody had bothered to ask his opinion about Izumi beforehand, he would have said, quite calmly and sincerely, that she was a "friend." And if anybody had bothered to tell him about her invitation, then he would have gone to meet her, quite calmly and sincerely too. That would not have been an issue.

Actually, it still wasn't an issue.

The problem that plagued him now didn't focus on Izumi at all. True, she factored into the equation, and without her the entire situation wouldn't have come about in the first place, but the passage of time had dulled her distinctiveness. The pangs of that first crush had faded away a long time ago. Now, even though he had missed hearing her voice and receiving her smiles, he could say with some certainty that she was just a friend.

A friend that he willingly let go of.

Now, why he had done that was another story altogether, and one that he was not willing to relive even if doing so would yield some insights into his current dilemma.

As a result, he deliberately and successfully avoided thinking about her. But he was dangerously close.

The only person who was on his mind at that very moment was Kouichi. That was natural; sudden revelations and excessive interference went hand in hand as far as his brother was concerned. It was an acknowledged fact that Kouichi didn't even have to go seeking trouble for it to find him, and Kouji had been dragged along for the ride so many times that it was already second nature to act the part of a not-so-innocent bystander. As an added benefit, those years of experience had trained his subconscious to find suitable escape opportunities whenever he had even the slightest inkling of a Kouichi Plan in place.

And his senses had tingled, alarmed, the minute he saw Izumi wandering about just outside his family home. Even now, with his heartbeat already slowed and his legs dropped like dead weights against the plush velvet, he could taste the lingering moment in the air.

He recognized her instantly. It wasn't hard; how many people did he know with blond hair and green eyes? True, there was something different about her, a certain maturity in the high cheekbones and the lines of her chin. But that was it. She blinked with familiar luminous double-lashes and smiled at him like always, and his memories flooded him like a wave of water. No, not water. Fire.

Contrary to popular belief, he was not completely ignorant about crushes and love and all the problems that came with them. In fact, he was quite frustrated by all the people who happened to think so.

No one seemed to realize that, with a brother like Kouichi, there was _no way_ he would stay uninformed for long.

No one seemed to realize that, with all of the awkwardness of puberty, he was _bound_ to like someone at least once in his lifetime.

And no one seemed to realize that, with all of the girls that confessed their undying love to him behind flushed cheeks and pretty giggles, it would have been impossible _not_ to acknowledge some kind of demented force behind it all.

Not that it really made a difference. Broken hearts or no, life would go on. The only difference was that he did know about love, from secondhand accounts. Well, mostly. But this was the only admission he would make under full possession of his senses. Starry-eyed romances didn't suit him.

He was sure his twin knew it, too. After all, Kouichi never pushed him about his nonexistent love life when there were obviously so many people who would happily fill the vacant spot next to him. (That is, whenever he had the misfortune of having one next to him. As a rule he tried to take seats at the end of the table, where he would only have to stomach his brother's company) For that, Kouji was eternally grateful. Trying to figure out why his brother happened to leave him alone about it wasn't healthy for his sanity, so he never bothered to ask about the apparent leniency either.

Now he wondered if he should have. Kouichi didn't even like matchmaking. So there had to be some kind of obvious sign that his life warranted heavy-handed intervention.

Or it could all be a Kouichian joke. Wouldn't be the first time.

Somehow, he doubted it.

Which was confusing.

Kouji didn't like confusing.

Especially right now.

Away from the humdrum of the party and the brief shock of the reunion, he was left in a somewhat embarrassing situation. He may have run off, but he couldn't even explain the reason to himself, much less anyone else. That was fairly convincing in and of itself that he should return.

And then there was dinner.

Wincing, he brought his eyes up to the ceiling. How had his parents convinced him to have the party? He couldn't remember anymore. He didn't want to. If he did, then his rationality would probably entice him to go back there and face…

What, exactly?

He stopped tapping his fingers suddenly, and a very unsteady silence washed over the study. Ah, that was the real issue, wasn't it? And he felt incredibly tired of thinking for once. Especially if it drew him toward very sensitive topics that stung when they were touched for reasons unknown to him. The endless tangents were beginning to give him a headache. His fingers, limp and pale on the glass, lifted and pressed wearily to his temple.

He registered the darkness only a few moments later. Rising, he lifted up the heavy curtains and shoved them to either side. The faint outline of a sunset scattered across the sky, fading into a deep blue. For a moment, he felt a hint of surprise that it was so late in the day. The rest of him fell into resignation, taking an almost vicious satisfaction in the fact that his brother would have to take control of the festivities. It _was_ his fault, after all.

Even so, another surge of guilt had him releasing his grip on the hapless curtains and turning back toward the door.

He probably shouldn't have left Kouichi like this.

Even if everyone would probably be focused on the girl he had brought home.

The girl…the pink, cheerful girl…

Well.

Now that he thought about it…

His brother would be fine.

In fact, now he wondered whether he should feel sorry for the rest of his family. No matter. They would survive. Or at least, most of them would. And besides, it shouldn't always be Kouji who had to suffer his insane twin's plotting.

He reached up the oak door to undo the chain. It clicked and knocked down as he released the lock and opened the door. The hinges creaked weakly, and he ran a hand down the side of the wood with a frown.

Slamming it behind him probably hadn't been a good idea.

He swung it forward, and walked straight to the outer hallway. Or, rather, he walked out and stopped midway.

For the first time in his life, Kouji cursed his good vision. He caught the flood of golden hair first, then the curves of a silver dress, and finally the face that they led to. He identified her much the same way he had only a few minutes ago with the window between them: with instinct rather than any conscious memory of her face. Izumi.

But now, she was bent over slightly only a few feet away, her hand poised around the door to his right. His eyes followed the curve of her arm up to a slender hand, and when hers glanced along his line of sight, she snatched it back and rubbed it against her side.

Dead silence.

Kouji wondered why he left the room. He had never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life – save a few other instances that were also due to his brother, damn him.

He needed to throttle Kouichi. Izumi looked like she agreed with him.

"What time is it?" The words were out of his mouth before he even realized it.

Her jaw dropped. For a moment, her lips separated and her mouth opened to let out a faint strangled sound. Kouji wished he hadn't spoken at all. Years apart had obviously done more to their relationship than he expected.

"What _time_ is it?" she repeated incredulously. He winced slightly. It was definitely not the best way to greet her, now that he thought about it. "Minamoto Kouji, did you just ask me what _time_ it was?"

"Do you know?" God, why couldn't he just call back his normal calm, silent personality? There was seriously something wrong with him.

Izumi twitched slightly, but there was something in her eyes that relaxed him. That and the slight curve of her lips. "Nope."

"I suppose that makes two of us," he deadpanned.

"I suppose so," she commented dryly. "Should I bother asking you why you ran off?"

For a moment, it was he who was left slack jawed and more than a little imbalanced. He finally responded, "Do you expect an answer?"

"Not really." Her eyes were dancing, flecks of green catching the light of the chandelier above them and glimmering with a soft gold. He felt incredibly at ease now, even facing her blunt honesty. The uncertain, awkward stranger had disappeared.

"That's good," he shot back. "I don't have one ready for you yet."

"Yet?"

"I might if you help me deal with my brother."

She was laughing, warm and familiar, and suddenly quite close to him. He didn't know which of them had moved, and he didn't particularly care.

"That depends on how you plan to deal with him!"

"Perhaps a punch will do," he retorted, completely serious.

She kept her face straight with an effort. He looked over her again, at her soft waves of hair and flushed cheeks. "I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to hold him down, Kouji."

It was true. His gaze fell down from her face to follow the evening gown to its edge just over her knees, then flicked up again. While the dress was undeniably suitable for a special occasion, it clung to her curves and restricted her movements. "Pity."

Her lips parted and shoulders shook with quiet laughter. "It is." She smiled up at him, brilliant and blinding. "Hope you're not too disappointed."

Kouji shrugged. "His fiancée will probably be willing to help after she has to put up with him for a while." His lips pressed together to restrain an outright smirk.

"Mimi's sweet. She won't unless he keeps her from shopping."

"That should be easy enough to arrange."

"Kouji!" She feigned an indignant tone, but there was understanding underneath. "It's alright. I don't mind seeing you again."

He paused. What did you say to something like that? What _could_ you say? "It could be worse."

"He could have pushed us into a closet."

He choked slightly. "Don't tell Kouichi that."

"He probably already remembers."

"Still shouldn't give him any ideas."

"Point taken. I don't want to be locked in this house." She suddenly stood on her toes and peered around him. "It's so big."

"My father's." A thousand thoughts rushed up, all of them of family and non-family and the blurring lines between. He didn't voice any of them, but it seemed that she realized where his thoughts were headed from the gentle touch of her hand on his elbow.

"I see."

_Do you?_ He wanted to ask her. He didn't. A quiet moment fell over them, and he suddenly realized that Izumi herself, the most essential part of her identity, hadn't changed at all over the years. Why had he expected her to?

She shifted suddenly, looking down at her shoes. "It's dinnertime."

Just like that, he felt the outside world invade the personal, familiar atmosphere that had struck up between them. It was like a cold chill, and with it came the emotional distance from the rest of the world that he was so used to.

When she looked up there was the slightest hint of fatigue, but it faded quickly. He stopped himself from asking after her health, partly out of awareness of where they were and partly out of discretion. Especially now, when they were already late, he didn't feel the need to stay.

He inclined his head slightly in the direction of the patio. "Shall we go?"

If she was disappointed, she didn't show it. "After you."

Even if she wasn't disappointed, he was.


	6. Chapter 5: Hold your peace

Yay for quick updates. You kind of have to feel sorry for Kouji, actually. Everybody's getting into his business.

Their relationship is seriously moving slowly, isn't it? There _is_ a reason for it, but you'll figure that out much, much later. They're kind of dancing around each other.

I'm trying to bring some focus onto Mimi, because she's not just a placeholder for the story's plot to take place. For the most part, you're going to see developments in the kouzumi department from third parties more than from the two themselves. Again, not that surprising.

Oh, and the next part is already done. It just needs to be edited.

**

* * *

Chapter 5: Hold your peace**

* * *

_Love, a stamp_

_that sends away_

_Everything you_

_want to say_

Her fiancé was fidgeting.

That alone was very strange. Mimi had seen him in many different moods, as varied as the admittedly bizarre situations that he found himself in. All his own fault, of course, but this was the first time she had ever seen him uncomfortable about it. His fingers were thrumming rapidly, and his eyes darted around the room clearly looking for someone. In fact, he hadn't turned to look at her at all.

The lack of attention made Mimi feel very much alone. After bringing her around to meet his brother, he had promptly disappeared and left her standing near the large fountain in the center. The birds dancing around the rosebushes some distance away entertained her for a while, but boredom and nerves set in quickly. She wanted to find Izumi, but one look at the large garden killed that plan. The plants were arranged like a maze, high and elegant but easy to get lost in. If she couldn't find Izumi, who seemed much more familiar with the place, she wouldn't be able to find her way back. Kouichi was gone, and his brother…well, she didn't know what to think of him.

Kouichi had warned her about Kouji. Something along the lines of _moody_ and _insulting_ and _bastard_. She had known about it, but meeting him was a completely different matter…

Her fiancé was calling for dinner now. Blankly, she stared back at him, wondering first where his brother was, and second why _he_ had to take charge. Surely his parents would be a better choice? As quickly as the thought came, she rejected it. She hadn't even met his parents yet; she couldn't make a suggestion like that until she did. They might be just as bad as Kouji in socializing. How could two brothers be so different?

"Where did you go?" she asked quietly, prodding him with her elbow. He didn't even glance in her direction.

"Library." He pulled her along with him.

"Why?" He didn't respond, instead taking a sharp left toward the grand table set up with porcelain dishes and food. The candlesticks in the center had been lit, and the flower arrangements taken away to make space. She resisted the urge to smack him; it wouldn't make a very good first impression. More importantly, it was completely out of character for him to refuse to answer questions. It was even more out of character to drag her along with him without telling her, sweetly and politely, what he was doing.

He was acting like his brother. A flare of annoyance rose inside of her. She took a deep breath. "Kouichi."

He took her to a chair on the right side, cushioned with a soft plush pillow. Her name was written in looping letters on a card. The paper was resting precariously on the overstuffed fabric. He snatched up the card and left her standing there, gaping after him.

"Kouichi!" Annoyance melted into indignant anger.

He finally seemed to snap out of whatever mood he had gotten in, much to her relief. "Sorry," he murmured, walking back and angling his head against the juncture of her shoulder and neck. His fingers were relaxed now as he gently tugged her arms out of their crossed position and ran his thumb along her palms. "I was thinking."

Mimi finally relaxed against him, but there was something that kept her from feeling completely comfortable in the embrace. His eyes were still glinting with irritation. "Where did you go?" she repeated.

"My brother was in the library. I thought I might as well go get him."

She blinked. "What about Izumi?"

"Look right next to you," he muttered with a boyish grin tugging his lips. She whipped her head around, but didn't see any sign of blond hair. It was easy to check for her, like always, but she still couldn't find her at all.

"Where?" She was confused when he started to laugh.

"Not literally. I mean, look at the seat next to you."

Mimi tried to see what he was showing her, but it was hard to twist around the entire way with his hands holding hers. She let go reluctantly and sat down in her seat, reaching forward for the card that sat on the next cushion over. "Orimoto Izumi," she read, feeling a sudden rush of relief. At least she would have someone she knew to talk to. Pausing, she snatched up the card on her other side. The name was unfamiliar, and she frowned. "Kouichi, who's this?"

He leaned over her shoulder, then sighed gently. "That would be my mother."

"Oh." She wondered if her face showed how nervous she was.

He rubbed her shoulder soothingly. Apparently, it did. "It'll be fine." With an uncharacteristic grim smile, he added, "Father won't be here. Kouji's stepmother will, but my father's still in Kyoto for business."

"Oh." Mimi didn't know whether that meant she should be more or less nervous. Suddenly she wished that her parents were here, even if they made an awful mess of things. At least she wouldn't be surrounded by strangers. The scent of beef had her perking up slightly, but for some reason she felt nauseous rather than hungry.

Kouichi's arms tightened around her shoulders. "I'm sorry for dragging you to this, Mimi."

"When did our little dinner get so complicated?" she mumbled. At first, Mimi had felt nothing but thrill at the prospect of meeting her future in-laws. She had been even happier when Kouichi had suggested bringing Izumi with her.

The two of them hit it off when they met at a freshman welcome party nearly two years ago. Maybe part of the reason was being thrown into a college that few of her high school friends went to. But even without that additional desperation for someone, _anyone_ who could keep up with her overwhelming liveliness, Mimi was sure that they would have been friends anyway. Izumi was the kind of person that grew on you, whether she smiled or teased or argued.

And it only got better when Kouichi mentioned to her that Izumi happened to be his twin's childhood friend. The subtle emphasis on _friend_ told her that there was quite a lot that he wasn't telling her, but nothing that she wouldn't get out of the girl after a bit of interrogation. Remembering that particular conversation made her smile, even now.

But it was hard to reconcile the Kouji that she met today with the Kouji that her fiancé told her about.

It was even harder to reconcile with the Kouji that _Izumi_ told her about.

Mimi was ready to start calling him the Jerk rather than his name, actually. What kind of guy told his sister-in-law that she was "alright"? Mimi hoped that he wouldn't be so…so… _infuriating_ after she got to know him better. At this point, she was glad that he hadn't just insulted her. From what she could tell, Kouji had actually given them his very screwed up blessings.

She didn't even feel offended, already knowing that she wouldn't get much better from the likes of him.

That didn't really bode well for Mimi's relationship with her future brother-in-law. But even if she wouldn't exactly enjoy his company, she would put up with the guy willingly for her fiancé's sake.

Kouichi started to gently run his fingers through her hair. His lips were pressed to the skin of her neck, and she giggled quietly. She felt him smile and pull her hair down gently to guide her lips to his.

When he got up again, she realized that most of the guests had already taken their seats and were either discreetly looking away or unabashedly staring. She groaned quietly to herself. So much for a good first impression.

Turning to face her fiancé with a helpless look, she realized that he was also staring at a slender woman standing just behind the seat to Mimi's right, a faint pink rising in his cheeks. "Mother."

Oh. Mimi could feel the warmth in her face. How long were they in that position? Did she see them? Dear god, they were sitting in the middle of the table, in clear view of just about everyone in the backyard! She still managed to say, "Erm. Hi." Truthfully, she was just grateful that her vocal cords still worked. Normally, it wouldn't embarrass her at all to be in a crowd and kiss her fiancé. They _were_ engaged, after all. But this was her fiancé's family, which meant she would have to meet them again in the future after treating them to that show.

She really wanted to disappear.

Kouichi's mother laughed. It was an accepting, amused laugh, one that Kouichi had gotten and used on her often. "It's fine." Her eyes rolled to rest on Mimi. "I think I'd be more worried if you didn't kiss."

"Mother!" Kouichi looked both embarrassed and horrified. Mimi sympathized. She didn't want to ever hear her mother say that kind of thing either.

The woman wasn't done. "And of course, that means that your married life will be much less awkward too." A ripple of laughter went across the entire backyard.

"Mother," Kouichi managed a weak protest. Mimi hoped that she wasn't blushing as hard as he was. His cheeks were completely scarlet and his eyes were carefully avoiding everyone else. One hand was tightly clenching Mimi's chair; the other was rubbing his neck.

Kouichi's mother finally turned from her blushing son to the also blushing girl next to him. Mimi suddenly understood where Kouichi had gotten his penchant for mischief. It wasn't particularly comforting.

A closer look at the older woman revealed other things that Kouichi had inherited. Though the black hair was now peppered with gray and the skin was creased with delicate wrinkles, she was still quite beautiful. Her eyes were bright like her children's, but the irises were much darker. She was thin rather than slender, and would have looked awkward without the natural grace that their entire family seemed to have.

But the smile that she shot Mimi was much less teasing and somehow…comforting? Whatever it was, it worked. Mimi suddenly felt the tension leak out of her body. "My name is Mimi. It's nice to finally meet you, Kimura-san."

"Please call me Tomoko."

"Oh, alright."

"Well, that does it." Tomoko looked very amused. "You just might be the first person to actually call me by my name after I asked them to!"

"Well, I'm not exactly a formal person." Mimi pointed out with a grin.

"Of course," the woman nodded. "Kouichi is not Kouji."

Mimi felt a blank look settle over her face, but the rest of the family, Kouichi included, laughed in reply. It was probably some kind of inside joke. Realizing that Mimi didn't understand, the woman gently launched into an explanation.

"You've met my second son?"

"The jerk?" Mimi was horrified when her new nickname slipped out, but most of the family looked as though they agreed with her assessment.

Tomoko chuckled slightly, then leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially in Mimi's ear. "Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first to think that about him."

Mimi relaxed. "Oh."

"But yes, he is by far the most temperamental member of this family. So we have a running joke," she made a slight waving gesture with her left hand down the table, "that Kouichi must have stolen all of the charisma."

Kouichi grinned slightly. "They've tried to prove it too."

"How would you prove something like that?" she asked, baffled.

Kouichi looked at his mother, then at Mimi. "I'm not sure that he wants you to know, actually."

"Which means that I really want to know."

Tomoko grinned. "Story for another time, dear. I wouldn't like to have Kouji hear me explain it."

"Unless you actually _want_ him to punch you."

His mother waved him off. "He won't to me."

"But he'll kill me. I promised him not to tell anyone."

"True, we wouldn't want to leave your fiancée alone, now do we?"

Mimi piped up. "If it's that good then I won't mind."

Tomoko suddenly burst into laughter and collapsed in her chair, tears clinging to her eyelashes. Kouichi had somehow managed to make it all the way around the table in the meantime and was now seated right across from Mimi.

The woman with long brown hair right next to him lifted her napkin to her lips, shaking slightly. "Trust me, the story is worth it."

"Satomi," Tomoko said gently, but with a mischievous smile. "Why don't you tell it then?"

Ah. The stepmother…Mimi suddenly felt glad that Kouichi had gone over his convoluted family history beforehand.

The other woman turned to them and set her fork down. After clearing her throat, she began to speak. "There was this pretty girl back when Kouichi and Kouji were in high school–"

Kouichi snorted. "Not that pretty."

Satomi plowed right over him. "A _pretty_ girl, by the name of Kaori. I don't know where she got the idea, but apparently she was convinced that our twins were both in love with her."

Mimi stared. Kouichi she could see in that position, but his brother? "What happened?" she managed to ask.

Tomoko giggled and continued, "She came to my house one day, pouting and frowning, and launched into this grandiose story about how she met my boys, something about gardening and white roses–"

"I was there too, but apparently she didn't even realize that I was Kouji's stepmother–"

"And finally she asked me which one she should choose."

"And of course, that meant an extended discussion about the differences between them–"

"You should have heard her. She started talking about bad boys and good boys and I think that she even mentioned a naughty list somewhere in there…"

Kouichi butted in, "And I didn't even know who she was."

"Which we discovered when the boys came back before I could answer her–"

"And when she saw them you could have heard a pin drop!"

There was a pause in the story so all three could laugh. When they finally caught their breath, Satomi continued.

"The girl was already panicking, but it wouldn't have been nearly as bad if Kouji hadn't walked in–"

"And you know Kouji, he's not exactly the nicest person in the world…"

Kouichi snorted. "Wherever did you get that idea, mother." Mimi giggled slightly along with the rest of them, her worries about the dinner washing away.

Satomi reached over a hand to whack him, since Tomoko was now on the other side and couldn't do it herself, and then began the story once more. "And, well, how should I put this? He recognized the girl, asked her what she was doing in Kouichi's house, and the poor thing fainted! Of course, after the whole thing was said and done, she admitted that she was lying–"

"Only after Kouji glared at her," Kouichi added.

Tomoko frowned at him. "She did have a reason for it, though."

"Even if her reason was somewhat ridiculous," Satomi pointed out, dryly.

"Well, we wouldn't be telling this story if it wasn't!"

Kouichi shook his head. "That's not the _point_."

Mimi suddenly felt that if she didn't bring the conversation back on track they would never finish the story, and she really did want to hear the rest.

"I owe you a punch."

The frosty tone snapped them completely out of their easy storytelling roles, and four backs went stiff.

Kouji leaned over the chair with his hands interlocked to provide a resting place for his chin. His elbows supported all of his weight, balanced right on the back. Mimi didn't even have time to consider how he had gotten there so fast without alerting anyone around him, because the next thing she knew, a hard fist to Kouji's head threw him off his perch and half way to the ground. His reflexes caught him before he completely fell over as he snatched the sides of both his chair and his brother's. White wood rods creaked under the sudden weight. The entire congregation held their breath.

As soon as he straightened, he glared at the offender, who was smiling brightly and rearranging her silver scarf.

"What on earth was that for?!"

"Oh, I actually needed a reason?" She offered him an innocent look, and a few stifled chuckles went down the dinner table.

His gaze sharpened. "Yes."

"You didn't have one ready for _me_, remember?"

Absolute silence descended. Mimi thought that Kouichi had a rather guilty look on his face from the way he winced slightly. For her own part, Mimi was just confused, because it sounded like the two were continuing a conversation that she had only now become a part of. Kouji had risen to his full height, quite a few inches taller than Izumi. He looked fairly intimidating and Mimi was thankful that his focus was on Izumi rather than herself, even if her curiosity was killing her. The two were locked in a tense staring match for several minutes, but much to Mimi's surprise, Kouji looked away first. When he turned his eyes back, he held her gaze long enough to reach an unspoken compromise.

Then he muttered, "Sorry." More than a few jaws dropped.

The lines of his back were rigid and apprehensive as he sank indecorously into his seat, leaving Izumi to bow prettily to the party.

"I'm sorry for keeping you. Kouji was just being a jerk again."

Laughter met her, and the rest of the party easily went back to whatever they were doing before.

Kouji and Izumi quietly took food from the plates in front of them and completely ignored the curious looks from the rest of the group. Mimi turned to the matron on her left and started to ask a question, but Tomoko wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, the older woman was exchanging glances with brown-haired Satomi.

Mimi had the distinct feeling that she was missing something. It was her first time seeing them actually interact, and right away she recognized the tension. Of course, she already assumed that their relationship wasn't as simple as Izumi made it sound, but still. It was one thing to expect a change, it was quite another to see it happening in front of you. But something wasn't quite right. Kouji certainly didn't act like he was in love. And for that matter, neither did Izumi. Even taking into consideration Kouji's natural rudeness and Izumi's natural mischief, the two seemed to dance around each other too much for an established relationship.

They weren't awkward enough to be former dates, though, so the ambiguity was still a complete mystery. But there was still something there. They were too comfortable around each other to be 'just friends.' Imagine Kouji apologizing to _anyone_! If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have never believed it.

In the corner of her eye, she saw her fiancé gently nudge his brother and murmur something softly.

Kouji punched him.


	7. Chapter 6: The first clue

Thanks to my reviewers! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Here we are with the next chapter (finally) XD I think I need a beta reader for this...or just someone to preview it and see if there's anything particularly wrong with it. Is anyone willing to help out with that?

Anyways, the dinner party is starting to wind down and a few important conversations are finally had.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6: The first clue

* * *

**

_Love is like a waterfall_

_With rolling waves of mist_

_Surprising those who watch  
_

_With desire to be kissed  
_

* * *

He had forgotten how hard Kouji could punch.

Kouichi groaned quietly and tried his best to sit still despite the discomfort. The ice pack against his cheek was soothing and cool against the quickly purpling bruise, but the chill traveled beyond the injured area and onto healthy skin. It left the entire side of his face numb, a feeling that was almost as unpleasant as the pain.

His mother and Mimi were sitting together with him, taking turns changing the ice and covering the bag with dry towels. Neither was particularly happy with him. Not that he blamed them.

Kouichi knew that the entire thing was his fault. He didn't have a problem with accepting obvious truths as, well, obvious. Given the circumstances, he couldn't exactly deny it either. He _could have _left Izumi out of the party. He _could have_ let his brother know about her. He _could have_ let them find each other on their own time. He _could have_ left Kouji well enough alone after they came back.

But where was the fun in that?

Then again, where was the fun in getting punched by your own twin brother?

Kouichi wisely chose not to think about that.

Mimi obviously had a different opinion. "What were you _thinking_?" She was pouting, pink lips scrunched up in a very appealing little circle. The spot of moisture in the middle of her lower lip scattered his thoughts. When he didn't reply immediately, however, she turned her face away and huffed. Behind her, Kouichi saw his mother shaking her head resignedly.

He winced. "I honestly don't know."

"You don't know," she repeated, expressionlessly.

"Erm, I'm sorry?"

"Don't give me that. What were you trying to do?"

"I didn't expect him to punch me, if that makes you feel better," he offered weakly.

Anger and curiosity swirled in her soft, doe-like eyes. For the moment, curiosity won. "What did you say to him?"

Kouichi paused. How to explain? "It's kind of a long story…"

Mimi scowled and pulled her pink dress down over her knees. Then she crossed her arms and glared at him. Kouichi decided it was probably not a good time to tell her that she couldn't look intimidating to save her life. "I've got time." A little triumphantly, she added, "And you're not going anywhere."

Sly woman. Kouichi groaned again and looked at his mother for help. She glanced up at him and grinned. "Well, tell her." She tapped the ice bowl in front of her and smiled. "I'm going to go talk to Kouji."

She walked off before either of them could protest.

Correction. Sly _women_. "Fine," he muttered. Leaning back on the wicker chair that had been left outside, some distance from the patio, he tried to find the right words to start. 'Long story' didn't even begin to describe it. The series of events that led up to the whole mess was practically an epic in and of itself. "You saw him with her today, right?"

"Hel-lo, you were there," she snapped.

He glared at her. "It was rhetorical."

"Fine, go on."

"Okay. There was a group of six of us when we were kids. All three of us were part of that group, and everyone got along pretty well for the most part. I didn't really become a part of it until much later, though… It's kind of complicated." Understatement of the century.

He could see her brow creasing slowly. "You've told me this before."

"Not all of it."

"Obviously." She paused, then quietly murmured, "You know, I asked Izumi about it too."

Now it was his turn to stare at her with surprise. "What?"

"Well, she's my friend," she muttered defensively. "And she was pretty good about telling me her side of the story. Unlike a _certain someone_, you know."

He was silent for a moment, feeling warmth in his cheeks. "Not exactly my fault."

"You're changing the subject. What were you going to say?"

"Depends. How much do you know?"

"She was friends with everyone until she moved to Italy at thirteen."

He blinked and waited.

A sigh. "Well, there was a lot more detail," she admitted. "But most of it isn't relevant."

"I…see," he replied slowly, the wheels turning in his head. Wasn't there something that Kouji told him about the year they turned thirteen? Something…

Mimi poked his side and he realized that he must have stayed silent too long.

"Sorry," he said. "Thinking. Anyways, you probably know the basic gist of it. Did you ask about my brother?"

"I did, but she didn't really say anything in particular. Although," Mimi grinned, "she did say that they were pretty close."

"Her words or yours?" he asked, feeling a smile bubble up.

"Hers." They shared a knowing look.

"I'll pick up from there, then. Izumi was the only girl in our group. I think she was probably the only girl Kouji talked to before age fifteen. Besides his stepmother, you know."

A cluster of giggles escaped Mimi's lips and she covered her mouth. "Not surprised."

"Yeah," he breathed, watching how her charming smile made dimples appear on her cheek. "They were best friends. Confidantes, too…I'm pretty sure that he hasn't even told me half the stuff that he's told her. That might be part of the reason that she didn't tell you much, actually. Izumi really understands him. She knows that he likes to keep things to himself."

Gentle fingers rose up to touch Kouichi's cheek. "You understand him too."

"Not as much as I used to," he admitted ruefully. "There are a lot of things that he refuses to let me know. Like when he has problems in his life. Kouji doesn't like people worrying about him. And that's what I'm best at. So I'm not surprised."

A considering look settled on Mimi's face. "But Izumi gets to know? Even when you don't?"

"Sometimes."

"Does she know about the other story? The one you were telling me before?"

Kouichi stopped fidgeting long enough to stare at her. He was pretty sure that he was gaping too. For some reason, the subject change completely threw him off. "You know, she might."

Slowly, Mimi tilted her head up. "Will she tell me?"

"You know," he mumbled faintly, "You really don't need to ask her about it."

There! A triumphant gleam broke through her darkened eyes. "So will _you_ tell me?"

Kouichi laughed out loud. "Later. Tomorrow."

"I won't let you get out of it."

"Trust me," he said breezily, "I don't mind retelling the story at all."

"But not now."

"No, right now you asked a more important question. I think I should answer that one first."

Her hand reached over to his other cheek, the injured one. She pulled away the ice pack and stroked his chilled skin gently. From the way she winced, it didn't look good. As the evening air blew against the skin, the numbness melted away and he felt the ache return. She patted his cheek and made to put the ice pack back.

He refused, "Don't need it anymore." A faint grin played on his face. "Should I continue?"

Mimi had also regained her cheerfulness. "Please."

* * *

Izumi could feel the headache pounding away at her skull.

No, she hadn't dropped food on her lap or humiliated herself in public. She hadn't stuttered or chewed a hole into her bottom lip. She hadn't done anything wrong, actually.

So why did _she_ feel so embarrassed when Kouji slammed his right fist into his brother's face?

Nothing about this situation made any sense whatsoever.

Izumi wasn't a violent person. At least, she didn't consider herself one. Some people would probably disagree, but that was to be expected. While she certainly wasn't a peaceful angel, Izumi did try to limit her slaps to those who really deserved it. And even then, she only gave in to the urge when she was very angry.

Kouji didn't follow the same logic. It was actually one of the things she envied about him – the ability to always follow through with whatever he said. It was probably impossible for him to _not_ be honest. If he was angry, he would hit you. If he was happy, he would…well…

He usually wasn't happy, so she didn't have enough experience with him in that mood to accurately predict his actions. But he probably wouldn't hit anyone. (Actually, the last time she had seen him truly happy, it was after knocking Takuya out. But that was a long time ago, never mind that her memory of that day was still perfectly clear, so it didn't count.)

So why did Izumi find herself blushing when Kouji socked his poor twin in the face?

Simple. Because she had the strangest feeling that it was her fault.

Izumi knew Kouichi nearly as well as she knew his brother. It wouldn't be enough for the devious mastermind to simply guide a boy and a girl together and then let them be. Oh, no. That was not Kouichi's way at all.

She and Kouji had debated for years whether Kouichi was actually aware of himself when manipulating other people. It had always been her firm belief that Kouichi had nearly innocent intentions and just dropped enough hints to make sure that things would fall into place exactly the way he wanted them to.

Kouji just jabbed her in the shoulder and declared that his brother and innocent did not belong in the same sentence.

Now, she was inclined to agree with him – Kouji, that was. Because despite the fact that the older twin himself was completely out of commission due to the dark bruise blooming on his cheek, he somehow managed to leave them in just as embarrassing a position as before.

She and Kouji were practically alone at the table. And people were staring.

Izumi really wished that she had taken the opportunity to leave along with Mimi and Tomoko-san.

Kouji looked like he really wished that he could throw his brother another punch. But instead, he did something very unlike him.

He opened his mouth and let a few hasty words tumble out.

Apparently, he was feeling talkative tonight. The confounding fact that _Kouji_ had _willingly_ initiated a _conversation_ in _public _took her off guard. As a result, she completely missed what he actually said.

When he looked at her expectantly, she realized that he must have asked her a question. Izumi flushed. "I'm sorry?"

He was surprisingly patient. "I said, how have you been?"

"Oh," she mumbled, moving the thin slices of beef around her plate. "Fine, I suppose. You?"

"Fine, I suppose."

She grinned at him ever so slightly. "Hey, go find your own ambiguous remark. That one's mine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Copyrighted?"

"Yep! As of," she glanced at her wristwatch, "twenty seconds ago."

His lips pressed together into a thin line, but she could tell that it was only to keep from laughing. "Very well. Let's try that again."

"Okay," she cleared her throat, "You start."

"How have you been?"

"Fine, I suppose. You?"

"I suppose, fine."

She choked on a piece of green bean. As she coughed, she felt a firm hand settle on her back and a few soft chuckles in that direction. She looked back when her breathing eased again.

Tomoko-san was smiling at her. "Am I interrupting something?"

Izumi grinned back, "Only me in the process of suffocation. Nothing major."

Across the table Kouji snorted and muttered something under his breath.

She offered him a sugary sweet look and asked, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"No."

"Really, because I could have sworn you did."

"It was nothing." Was he blushing?

"Really, nothing like 'Maybe you should have'?"

He sputtered. Blood rushed to his cheeks and she thought briefly that he looked nice like that. Then again, he always looked nice, didn't he…?

Tomoko-san and Satomi-san were laughing together. Kouji growled at them and quickly rubbed his hand over his face as if to erase the blush. His stepmother was leaning back in her chair and no longer eating.

"You're done?" she asked Satomi-san, only to receive a gentle shake of her head as a reply.

"No. But if I eat while you two are here, I might choke," she pointed out cheerfully.

Izumi didn't have time to reply because Kouji seemed to have gathered his wits about him again.

"I'm glad to be of service, Mom." Dry and sarcastic, just the way he had always been.

"Yes? So will you start phoning home when you're supposed to?"

Tomoko-san chimed in, "Right, right. Will you?"

Kouji looked like a trapped animal, so Izumi decided to rescue him. Out of the pure goodness of her heart. "I think," she proclaimed clearly, "that Kouji must be allergic to socializing. It's a serious medical condition nowadays."

Tomoko-san laughed behind her hand. "Should I get him medicine for it?"

"If you can drag him to the doctor's," Satomi-san pointed out dryly.

"Oh, but he's such a big boy. I don't know if the family doctor will see him anymore…"

"That's fine. Just send him off to find a pretty nurse!"

"Why, I never thought of that before!"

"Two birds with one stone!"

"Absolute genius!"

"Mom…Mother…" Kouji was groaning and rubbing his temple.

Izumi felt strangely content, like a part of the family. Like she belonged. It was a very good feeling.

Kouji probably didn't feel the same, but that was all right.

All at once, both mothers seemed to quiet down. The mischievous look in their eyes hadn't completely faded, but the easygoing teasing had. Izumi could literally feel a serious mood looming over their heads, in a way that made her feel anxious for some reason.

"Izumi," Tomoko-san said quietly. "It really is good to see you again." Izumi could see Satomi-san bobbing her head in agreement in the corner of her eye.

She tried to smile cheerfully but didn't know how successful she was. "Thank you, Tomoko-san. You too," she mumbled.

Tomoko-san reached over Mimi's empty chair to take her hand. "Just Tomoko is fine. I've told you before, right?"

Izumi's lips twitched. "Yes." Her hand felt limp and weak in the older woman's grasp. "I know."

Kouji suddenly tapped her glass gently. The table wasn't very narrow, but he had relatively long arms and it was easy to reach her side with the aid of a butter knife. The clinking sound caught her attention quickly, and she turned back only to see him lifting his own wine glass towards her.

"A toast?"

She blinked, not really knowing what to expect. At the same time, though, she realized that it would be rude to refuse. She picked up the delicate chalice and extended her arm forward. "Do your worst," she challenged with a grin.

His eyes were surprisingly light and amused. They were almost sky-blue. It must be the candlelight, she concluded. The strange flickers made him look so much younger than usual, and it took a great amount of effort on her part to stay calm.

Kouji was sitting up straight, determination lining the curves of his chin and lips. "Here's to engagement."

_What?_

She nearly dropped the wine glass in her hand. For Kouji, that was incredibly bold. No, scratch that. For Kouji, that was utterly insane. Izumi gaped openly at him until understanding dawned.

Kouji wasn't referring to himself. He was talking about his older brother.

Izumi knew that not everyone attending the celebration approved of Kouichi. The quiet comments and furtive glances that they threw the older twin were evidence enough of that. On the other hand, it was only through previous experience with Kouji, Kouichi, and the rest of their family that Izumi could recognize the subtle snubbing for what it was. But of course this was Mimi's first time meeting any of them, so Izumi hoped that the other girl wouldn't catch on. The way that the rest of the family shied away from the two and only offered the briefest of pleasantries was appalling. Of course, most of the blame lay with the difficult divorce that made Kouichi a stranger to this half of his family, but that was no excuse. They should be congratulating, not avoiding, the happy couple.

Kouji was just making his position on the issue very clear.

Yes, that was it. What else could it be?

She swallowed hard. "And to happy endings." The wine glasses clicked together with a strange finality and she sipped the sweet red liquid.

Kouji's gaze was firmly trained on her. Izumi could feel it, but she still didn't glance up from the frothing wine in her hand. Strange, that. She had never avoided his silent stares before, but today she felt an inexplicable dread of looking at him too long. And she didn't even know why.

Izumi realized that it was probably late. The moon had already crossed half the sky and she had classes tomorrow. And she didn't even know where Mimi was…

"Excuse me," she murmured. She gathered up her skirt and stood up. The wind was very mild today and even the soft silver scarf was immobile. Only a brief rearrangement of her barely ruffled clothing was necessary. Izumi finally turned to bid the rest of the party farewell – a mistake. Dark blue eyes hadn't moved from their target and she caught sight of them on her way up.

Izumi froze. Breathing seemed to be the most difficult thing in the world right then and there. The lazy, intense examination combed her from head to toe. A silent, demanding interrogation.

It felt like hours before his eyes met hers again.

Then the thoughtful, brooding look finally left Kouji's face. A completely blank and emotionless mask replaced it as he straightened his back and nodded briskly at her. "Good night."

"Good night," Izumi managed to say. She went off to find Mimi.

* * *

Thanks for reading, please review!


	8. Chapter 7: Fireside Chats

Here it is. After so long of trying - and failing - to edit the stupid thing. It's going to be the last update in a while, because school is catching up to me, but after that it's pretty much smooth sailing!

Enjoy! Thanks for reviewing the previous chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Fireside Chats

* * *

**

_Love is alien to us  
_

_Yet only natural_

_Its only motivation:  
_

_To make fools of us all.  
_

* * *

When Izumi flipped the back door open and disappeared into the house, Kouji took a deep breath and hoped that his composure would last the rest of the night.

Although he didn't turn to acknowledge any of the other guests, he could feel uneasy and disapproving glances coming from both sides. Kouji couldn't blame their discomfort. First with his brother and then with his…friend, he had shown more emotion to them today than in the rest of his twenty years combined.

And now he was swinging to the other extreme: complete detachment.

Was it any wonder that his family felt a little bit unsettled?

But just understanding why they were all staring at him didn't make it less uncomfortable to be in the center of attention.

Kouji really envied his brother right now. In fact, he wondered if Kouichi had _planned_ the punch – since it provided such a convenient excuse to get away from the party, leave Kouji and Izumi alone together, _and_ give the older twin some private time with his fiancée.

If only they could switch positions.

But then Kouji would be somewhere alone with Mimi. And Kouichi would be – would have been – with Izumi.

That would be very awkward.

Kouji decided not to think about escaping anymore. It let strange thoughts run rampant over his normal tranquility. Instead, he focused on the food and the soft conversation between his mother and stepmother.

He felt a jolt of gratitude for their presence. The two women formed a buffer on his right, preventing the people from that side of the table from conversing with him. To his left, there were so many empty places already that discussion was awkward for the few guests that remained.

Which was very good for him. Kouji was tired of playing host. It wore on his nerves and made what should have been a simple introduction into a mass of infuriating chaos. Now that he had time to reflect, there were really only a few bright spots to the evening. Seeing Izumi again was one of them.

Izumi. Holding the crystal glass up with dainty little fingers…

No, he wasn't going to think about that. Or about the toast. Or about engagement.

Or about proposals.

Damn it, he needed a drink.

Through years of trial and error, Kouji had discovered that he could only stand alcohol if it was in wine. The taste of beer was off-putting, and the harder liquors would get him absolutely smashed. But wine was all right. And unfortunately, there was plenty of that to go around.

Kouji looked longingly at his empty wineglass, feeling very tempted to get it refilled. But logically he knew that it wasn't a good idea – his tolerance level wasn't very high and drinking any more would impair his judgment. So he retrained himself. Ah, self control… So nice to see you again, where the _hell_ were you?

"It's been too long since Izumi came to visit," his stepmother said.

Kouji blinked, suddenly thrust back into another conversation right when he had his thoughts back under control. He managed to sound noncommittal. "Yes."

She flashed him a knowing look. He concluded that his love life – or lack thereof – must have been the topic of her conversation with his mother. Why did everyone want to interfere with his personal problems? He must be some kind of busybody magnet.

His mother said, with a grin, "She's nice, isn't she?"

"Yes," he replied, somewhat fondly. Even though the concession was frighteningly revealing, he couldn't help himself. A friend was still a friend. Izumi was still Izumi. "Did you talk to Mimi?"

They glanced at each other and began to smile slowly. Kouji felt alarm rising at the sight. He began to think of escaping again, if only to hole himself up in some dark room and avoid all human contact for the rest of the night.

"She was nice, too."

"And pretty."

"And sweet."

"What is this, some kind of commercial?" he muttered.

It was obviously the wrong thing to say, because both women frowned at him. Kouji couldn't bring himself to care too much, though. Today's emotional roller coaster had been an exhausting affair. He could feel the headache pulsing in his temples.

He stayed long enough to hear his mother – or rather Kouichi's mother, as he was more used to calling her – sigh quietly. "Kouji, you need to know when to talk and when to stay silent."

"I know," he murmured into the suddenly hushed air. He knew all too well, actually.

"No," his stepmother said gently. "You don't."

"And why don't I know?"

"Because you don't try to understand," she sighed. "You can't reason yourself out of things like this, Kouji."

"Kouichi can."

His mother's gaze sharpened and rested on him from across the table. "Kouichi didn't have a choice."

"And I do?"

"Unfortunately." A pause, then she said more gently, "Kouji, I know it's hard for you. Just try, okay?"

"I do try," he nearly snapped back, surprised by his own vehemence.

Both women blinked, taken aback by the sudden flash of emotion. He gritted his teeth.

The pause that followed was awkward. Much like Kouichi, neither mother knew how to deal with Kouji in one of his arbitrary emotional phases. The mood swings didn't come around very often, which meant that whenever they _did,_ almost no one could do much about it. Even Kouji didn't understand where the strange outbursts came from. Only that they had become more and more frequent as time went by…

His stepmother cleared her throat, uneasily. "Kouji. It's okay. Do what you think is right."

There was something dismissive about the way she said it. Kouji felt like they were purposefully letting things hang in the air, letting him ignore the proverbial elephant in the room. What did they want?

What did _he_ want?

Not marriage, that was for sure. '_Til death do us part_' would never work out for someone like him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was too much like his father: reserved, preoccupied, and overly practical. Even his stepmother sometimes admitted that her relationship with Minamoto Kousei left much to be desired…although she probably never meant for Kouji to hear her say so.

Good senses were as much of a curse as they were a blessing.

Still, he couldn't lie to himself. It was sometimes a tempting thought to share his apartment with someone else, not even a girlfriend, just someone else.

_Happy endings_, Izumi had said. Sometimes, he wished that he knew how to make one work.

Being content and being happy were two very different things.

So what did he want? What was he missing?

Maybe just someone to talk to. Kouichi's engagement had easily secured the older twin a family away from his brother, which left Kouji hanging.

Maybe more time to spend with people who actually understood him.

Maybe the spread of soft golden hair against his shoulder. Or pretty green eyes blinking at him sleepily in the mornings. Or maybe even…

Stop, he commanded himself roughly. His thoughts were going too far too fast. It was one thing to feel a vague something-more around a friend. It was quite another to picture that friend living with him, in settings that were too suggestive to be ignored.

Some hint of his thoughts must have found its way onto his face, because his stepmother patted him gently on the arm.

"It's okay," she repeated. "Go slowly if you like. But just keep going."

A strange grim smile twisted its way onto his face. If only she knew. "Yes, mom."

When he excused himself from the party a few minutes later, he could still feel the stares aimed at his back. He chose to ignore them, knowing that the rest of his family couldn't help him any more than his well-meaning classmates did with their endless blind dates.

As the only exceptions, the two mothers in his life knew him well enough to predict what was wrong with frightening accuracy. And they could offer him solutions. He just never knew what to do with all the advice. It was just like before, when his friends had thrown them together in that closet. Or that boat trip. Or that sleepover. Or…

So many memories like that. Too many.

Kouji had had enough.

Without really thinking about it, he let his feet guide him into the house. When he heard voices down the center hall leading to the front door, he slid against the entryway to listen. The sounds were so soft that he could barely hear what was being said, but there was one voice that he quickly recognized.

It was low, slightly more cheerful but otherwise identical to his own. Kouichi.

Which meant that he had to be with Mimi…and possibly Izumi as well.

Kouji closed his eyes. Should he go? Should he stay? Neither really made for a good option. Or he could just leave and go somewhere else…

He discounted the third idea as soon as it came. Now that Kouji was finally away from his family's scrutiny, he just wanted to go to his brother and have a real conversation. Not a conversation that was laced with subtle inferences and demands, or accusations and frustrations, like so many of their talks had been like lately. He didn't want that. He never wanted that.

Why would he? The twins were close. Or rather, they _had been_ close.

Kouji wasn't sure when that had changed. It was just a sudden flash of surprise, one day, to realize that they hadn't exchanged a single email for weeks and a telephone call for months. That same day, he casually pushed everything aside and sat down to actually talk to his twin. It was probably the first time Kouji actually initiated their once-weekly calls.

And then, when he found out that his brother got a fiancée and didn't even bother to tell him…

Furious wasn't the right word. _Betrayed_. No, that was too strong. Disappointed? Upset?

Lonely…?

Yes. That was probably it.

Maybe he still was.

At any point, the voices outside had hushed and the faint creaking of the old oak door spurred him to action. Kouji didn't really think about it. He just took off, slinging his arm around the bend and stopping at the sight that met him.

Three heads jerked up at the sudden intrusion.

When he looked past Kouichi and Mimi to see the girl that was almost out of the door, he froze. His assumption had been correct…but knowing that didn't satisfy him at all. Why didn't he wait until the coast was clear before rushing out?

Why didn't he?

Kouji felt like he was going mad.

And Izumi wasn't really helping.

She looked so…so…_something_, leaning lightly against the solid wood and looking at him with wide eyes.

He stared at her, then at his brother.

Kouichi looked just as surprised as Izumi. Kouji couldn't summon up any of the expected satisfaction at seeing the older twin actually look flustered for the first time that evening. "Kouji," his older brother said, "where is everyone else?"

"They're in the backyard," he managed awkwardly.

"The backyard." A pause, then the accomplished look began inching back. "I see. Already abandoning your own party?"

Kouji scoffed faintly. "It's their fault for expecting _me_ to host it."

"Right, right."

The two girls had been looking from one twin to the other, showing both bafflement and amusement. Izumi's cheeks were slowly turning pink, but she still met Kouji's eyes daringly.

Kouji was beginning to see a pattern. For some reason, the blond girl was completely fearless when he engaged her in banter or when she thought he was being a jerk to the others, but the minute the playful atmosphere dissolved, she would suddenly shy away.

Well, at least he wasn't the only one who felt like fate's personal voodoo doll.

Or just Kouichi's.

Mimi coughed slightly. "It's kind of late, Kouichi."

His older brother jerked. "Oh! That's right. Classes tomorrow and all."

"Kouichi," he said quietly. "I need to speak with you."

The cheerful smile suddenly vanished into a very odd expression. It was a combination of anxiety, expectation, understanding, and smugness. The slightly faded bruise didn't detract from Kouichi's cheekiness at all.

Kouji growled inside. One punch wasn't enough. Seriously.

Izumi giggled softly, and he instinctively tuned in to the sound of her voice.

"It was good to see you again, Kouji," she said.

He nodded, a little more curtly than he intended. "Yes."

Kouichi was pressing a lingering kiss to his fiancée's forehead. The sudden urge to do the same to the smooth, creamy skin on Izumi's temple was so strong that he had to clench his fists to hold himself back.

Just a friend, huh?

Great, even his own subconscious was mocking him now.

Izumi glanced sideways at him, soft feathery lashes casting long shadows on her cheeks. She was smiling again. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Unless you're not coming to the wedding," he retorted dryly, relieved to be back on safe ground and solid footing.

The smile widened. "Believe me, I will. Mimi's pretty scary when she's mad."

He watched her slide away, right after the other girl's steady footsteps. Kouichi closed the door on their backs. As soon as the lock was shut, he turned around again.

Kouji wasted no time dragging his brother through the halls into the private sitting room upstairs. If the guests came back, they would probably stay in well-stocked kitchen or in the living room on the first floor. At least moving away from those areas would ensure some level of privacy.

Not as much as he would like, but it was enough.

As soon as they burst into the inner rooms, Kouji let go and drifted off to the far wall. Kouichi was watching him expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation while knowing very well that Kouji didn't want to give him one.

The younger twin realized after a few minutes of silence that Kouichi wasn't planning on making this easy for him. Something very close to aggravation burned in his gut, but the sudden rise of emotion was actually easy to suppress this time. It was getting easier to regain control of himself. That was probably a good sign.

"What are you doing?"

Kouichi looked puzzled. "What I'm doing?"

"Yes," he snapped.

"I," his brother said matter-of-factly, "am helping you."

"No, you're not. I don't need you to keep doing this, Kouichi."

"Again, keeping doing _what_ exactly?"

"Setting me up. Throwing me around with her. Trying to get us together," Kouji retorted sharply. "I told you before."

"Once," Kouichi said quietly. "You've said that once. When we were younger and you were still talking to her. Why did you stop?"

The muscle in Kouji's jaw was pulled taut and he didn't answer for a while. When he did, it was curt and close to snapping. "Don't change the subject."

"I haven't."

"Then answer my question."

"Why don't you answer mine?"

"Because I asked first." Kouji felt incredibly juvenile, but at the moment there wasn't much better to say. Kouichi's face was molded into a look of incredulity.

"Did you really just say that?"

"Shut up," he groaned. "Answer the question. What are you _doing_?"

"_You_ already answered that. So now it's my turn. Why did you stop?"

"Stop what?"

"Stop talking to her."

"Don't change the subject," he repeated, feeling irritated again. "Why didn't you tell me she was here?"

"Because you stopped talking to her."

They were going around and around in circles, and Kouji gritted his teeth angrily. They weren't talking about what he wanted to talk about, and Kouichi knew it. "Stop. That's not it."

"Then tell me what it is."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were engaged, Kouichi?"

His brother shut his mouth and tilted his head calculatingly. "Is that _all_?"

"No," Kouji admitted, "but it's a start. So. Spill."

"Eye for an eye, Kouji. You first."

Kouji knew that it would be easier to just give in. But he still wasn't ready to. So instead, he replied, "You already know enough about me."

"Apparently not," Kouichi murmured, "because I didn't expect today."

"You didn't?" That was a surprise. As far as he knew, his brother had never been the kind to plow into a plan without taking every single possibility into consideration. And that meant _every_ single possibility. This particular revelation was making Kouji's head spin.

"No." Kouichi's voice was clear and low, a sure sign of honesty.

"Oh," he murmured, before adding lamely, "I see."

"So. Talk."

"I don't know where to begin."

"The beginning is usually a good place."

Kouji growled slightly. "Would be nice if you told me what you already know so I don't repeat myself. Bastard."

"Technically if I'm a bastard then so are you – but anyway. You like Izumi."

His breath caught and he groaned quietly. Kouichi was dropping the subtle act and the sudden personality change caught Kouji by surprise. He still managed to say, "That's not the problem, Kouichi."

"No," his twin agreed, "the problem is that apparently you won't act on it."

"I don't want to."

"Yes, you do."

Damn it, his brother knew him too well. The conversation was beginning to spiral downwards with absolutely no hint of letting up any time soon. Kouji wondered why he thought it would be a good idea to speak with his brother right after the dinner party. They were obviously still caught up in _that_ drama even though Kouji wanted to talk about something else.

"Kouichi."

"That's my name."

Kouji growled again. "I'm not going to _get together_ with her. Period."

"Why not? Question mark."

"Because…" Kouji trailed off. In his head, the swirling motives were clear enough, but he didn't know how to put it into words. And what about Kouichi? How much did he know already? How much more should Kouji tell him?

If he wasn't careful, he might let too much slip out…especially with how chaotic his emotions had been recently.

It was unbelievable that he even had to take his emotions into consideration. Normally, they wouldn't affect him at all. But recently…he would lose his temper over the strangest things, and then end up doing or saying something that he would regret later. But realizing this made Kouji aware of the danger – and being aware made all the difference. He willed himself to stay calm, trying to ignore the lingering resentment that his brother was still manipulating him.

Kouichi sighed, obviously in frustration. "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"Do you," Kouji licked his lips indecisively, "want the long version or the short version?"

"Either would be good right now. Because you're really not making any sense."

That was true. Kouji winced, because sometimes Kouichi would adopt _his_ caustic, blunt personality, and obviously this was one of those times. It was always an unpleasant experience, but never so much that Kouji considered changing. "I'm sorry."

His brother regarded him with a thoughtful look. "Are you?"

"I don't know."

"Then don't say you are."

Anyone else would have just apologized again, but Kouji didn't feel like giving his brother any more of the upper hand. Instead, he replied, "Fine by me."

"Why did you stop talking to Izumi?" The sudden change of subject had Kouji blinking in surprise, but Kouichi's impatience was obviously eating away at his courtesy.

"Long story or short?" Kouji asked again, wearily.

"Stop beating around the bush."

"She moved away."

"You still talked to _me_. Even when you went all the way to Osaka."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Because you're my brother. And she's…"

"She is?"

"Something else," Kouji muttered, feeling almost embarrassed.

Kouichi's lips were twitching. "Really."

"Yes. My turn. Why didn't you tell me when you got engaged?"

"You're not done answering me yet."

"I gave you a reason."

"You gave me an _excuse_."

"What do you want me to say, Kouichi?" Kouji finally growled out, feeling drained. "What do you want me to do?"

"Get together with Izumi. Your words, by the way."

"Kouichi."

"Yes?"

"Why do _you_ think I did it?"

His brother stopped fiddling with the curtain tassel and turned to stare at him. "Me?"

"No one else I could be talking to."

"It's because you're scared." Kouichi said, flatly. His blue eyes pinned Kouji with a penetrating look.

"What would I be scared of?" Kouji snapped back, feeling surprisingly insulted.

"Of her. Of yourself. Because you like her, and you don't know how to deal with that."

"I'm not scared, Kouichi," he snarled.

"Yes, you are! You think I don't notice, Kouji? How you look at her? How you talk to her? It's obvious. Everybody knows except Izumi and you!"

"I don't need a girlfriend, Kouichi!"

"No," his twin hissed, "Not right now. But I'm not going to be around for much longer. I have Mimi. You have Izumi. It works out."

Kouji had been facing away from his brother, leaning against one low-lying couch, but now he whipped around. "No, it doesn't! I don't need anyone in my life, Kouichi!"

"You really haven't thought about it?"

"What?"

"About marrying. Or getting your own family. Or anything like that!"

More than he'd like to admit. "No."

Kouichi's breath sucked in and he exhaled slowly. "Liar."

Kouji closed his eyes. "No."

"Tell me the truth and I'll tell _you_ the truth, Kouji. Were you glad to see her today?"

He felt his limbs stiffen and let the silence dominate for a minute. "You already asked me that."

"A punch doesn't count as an answer. Were you?"

"…No."

"_Liar_." Kouichi slid into the dark armchair next to the door. His eyes were rigidly focused on his younger brother, who wasn't quite meeting his gaze.

"I'm not lying," Kouji muttered unconvincingly.

"Really."

"Look, Kouichi. It'd help if you actually listened."

"I'm all ears."

Kouji made an exasperated noise with his throat, but otherwise stayed quiet.

His brother finally asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"…Nothing. Just call me."

"Oh. Well, that's not necessary."

"Kouichi?"

An alarmingly cheerful grin appeared on the older twin's face. "We're going to have dinner with Izumi on Saturday."

Kouji really didn't know what to say. Luckily, his brother didn't seem to need a response, because he plowed on cheerfully.

"To discuss the wedding, you know."

"Izumi's a bridesmaid, isn't she?"

"And you will be my best man."

"Well, obviously."

"I think you should talk to her."

"I did."

"Longer."

"And when exactly would I do that?"

Kouichi coughed discreetly. When Kouji's annoyed look didn't change, he asked, "Were you even listening to me?"

"Yes. Dinner on Sat–" A look of horrified realization dawned on his face.

"Well, yes. At my house. Because we need to discuss…wedding matters." Kouichi was genuinely enjoying this.

Kouji was not. "I told you not to help me."

"Can't help it. Both of you need to be there anyways."

For a moment, Kouji wanted to protest, but realized that Kouichi was right. At the very least, he probably needed to get used to his brother's fiancée. Not that it would be extraordinarily hard. Kouji took great pride in his ability to tolerate just about anything. "Fine."

"Good." Kouichi was almost out the door before he stopped and turned his head back. "And try not to get married while Mimi and I are off on our honeymoon, okay?"

Kouji sputtered and shoved his brother out.


	9. Chapter 8: The wonders of Caffeine

Did she finally post a chapter for Close Enough? Oh my god, she did!

So sorry for the delay, guys. I just had a TON of work to do. And I do mean a ton.

Also, things are picking up a little bit. There is mention of an OC, but she doesn't and won't appear in this story. I figure that I've dropped enough hints in this chapter to let you know what happened, anyway.

NOTE: I've tried to edit the chapter a little to make it clearer...hopefully it helps.

Disclaimer: is disclaimed. As usual.

* * *

**Chapter 8: The wonders of caffeine**

* * *

_Love, a brush_

_Without the paint_

_A coaster ride_

_Without restraint_

* * *

It was 2:00 AM on Saturday, and Izumi couldn't sleep.

Her roommate had gone to a party and invited her along, but she saw no reason to leave the comfort of her bed when she had to get up early tomorrow anyway. Izumi burrowed deeper into the covers, perfectly comfortable, and wondered why on earth she was still awake. It had been a perfectly normal day, by her standards. She had gone to bed at the proper time – which was relative, of course – but dreams just weren't willing to drop out of the sky today.

It had been like this for three hours already. She was getting frustrated, which probably didn't help at all. At one point, she even turned her clock around so that she couldn't see the numbers, only to turn it back a few minutes later because she literally had nothing else to do.

Really, wasn't that pathetic? Izumi gnawed slightly on her lower lip and sighed. Yes, yes, of course it was.

Finally, the boredom became too much and she kicked off the covers, shuddering as a blast of air from the broken heater hit her stomach. Breathing in quickly, she dashed to the bag at the very end of the room and then took it back under her warm covers. All the lights were out and Izumi didn't want to leave her nice comfortable bed to turn them on, so it was hard to fish for her cell phone. She held it out triumphantly after a few well-spent minutes of searching.

Then promptly wondered what she was going to do with it.

And realized that she had no idea.

Well, wasn't that just peachy.

Izumi flipped it open anyway and opened the address book, searching through all the contacts to find someone who wouldn't be sleeping, studying, or partying at a time like this. Maybe she could find a fellow insomniac to chat with.

She spied Mimi's name and grinned quietly to herself, half-tempted to send her a text message just to see the look on her face. Mimi was incredibly self-conscious about her beauty sleep, claiming that not enough made her look awful. Personally, Izumi never saw the difference, but then again, it wasn't like she spent much time staring at Mimi's face. Only enough to tease the girl a bit, that was all.

In the end, Izumi decided against it. Considering that Mimi was already so wound up about today, since she had arranged for a few high school friends to come over, it would be a little too mean to wake her up.

Tempting, but mean. Izumi kept scrolling down. Kouichi? He was a night owl, everyone knew that. But talking to him was simply redundant. Wasn't she already going to meet him tomorrow – or rather today?

Down, down, down.

Takuya's phone number was on the list. Izumi stopped scrolling and stared at it. Such a long time since she had spoken with him – or with Tomoki, or with Junpei. But she had no idea where he was. Izumi sent off a short text message to the number listed anyway. It had been too long since their little group had gotten together. Maybe if she reconnected with him, they would be able to make it to Kouichi's wedding.

Izumi didn't have Junpei's number, but she did have Tomoki's. She made a note to ask Kouichi about it at dinner, only to realize that calling him herself was probably a very bad idea. Or, at least, it would have been a bad idea a few years ago. Then again, that was a few years ago. Maybe the time apart had done something for Junpei too.

By the time she reached the bottom of the list, Izumi was rolling her eyes to the ceiling and groaning out loud. There were so many people that she couldn't remember to save her life – whose names were promptly deleted – and just as many that she really didn't want to remember – who were also deleted.

That left just the core group of friends that Izumi actually talked to, and a few others that she decided to keep for who knows what reason.

She blinked a little and huffed. Now that she was done with that, there wasn't anything to do. Takuya hadn't replied, not that she was surprised. Maybe she should try someone else…

Meaning Kouichi, of course. Who else would be awake? Or good-natured enough to put up with random midnight conversations?

Or she could try his brother. What would Kouji do if she sent him a text message in the middle of the night asking for entertainment? Izumi giggled quietly at the mental image. Unable to help herself, she clacked out a brief message:

_How are you this fine and lovely morning?_

It sounded so contrived that Izumi nearly collapsed over her arms, laughing. When they were younger, she used to send him dozens of these kinds of messages, if only to hear his half-hearted, teasing complaints. True, things were a little different now...but they were still friends, weren't they?

She clicked send.

And waited with bated breath. When nothing came back, Izumi sighed, half in disappointment and half in relief. The energy drained steadily from her body, and she slid her purse and phone onto the nightstand. Curling into her warm blankets, she could feel how hazy and dreamy the world was becoming, a sure sign that she was about to fall asleep.

The phone beeped.

Izumi jolted, nearly jumping out of the bed. It was still freezing cold, so she snuck a look at the nightstand: 6 o'clock.

She couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. Suddenly reminded of what had woken her up, Izumi snatched her phone and clicked.

One unread message.

_5:00 AM is not morning. _

Short and sweet. She didn't even have to look at the sender to know who had sent it. Suddenly struck by the urge to laugh, she quickly typed back.

_So what are you doing this early in the not-morning?_

Actually, Izumi didn't care all that much about why he was awake. The point was, somehow they both were, and she knew that he wouldn't mind company. People who called the young man anti-social didn't know him well enough; Kouji had plenty to say, just not the desire to say any of it.

Unless it was early in the morning, apparently. The reply came so fast that it surprised her.

_Breathing._

This time she did laugh. As amusing as it was, though, he wasn't really answering the question. _Couldn't sleep either?_

She then waited the next ten minutes for a reply, but there wasn't even the slightest jingle from her phone. A sigh of disappointment escaped her chest and she just about gave up. There was an Izumi-shaped cave in her sheets, and she returned to it with a dissatisfied huff. Of course, it was right at that moment that the phone decided to sound again.

It didn't beep. It rang.

Izumi answered the call rather unthinkingly, and pressed the phone close to her ear. "Hey. Kouji." Her voice came out just a little more breathily than she wanted.

It was especially obvious against Kouji's unhurried, unruffled tenor. "I'm assuming that I've reached the right person."

She grinned and tossed herself back onto the bed, suddenly very awake. "If you're trying to reach a fellow insomniac, sure."

"Who said anything about insomnia?"

"Why are you awake, then?"

"Because my roommate threw me out." He let her absorb all of the subtle implications before continuing, "Or, more accurately, I left before he disturbed me for life."

Izumi began to blush, ever so slightly. "That was a bad question, wasn't it?"

"Actually, it wasn't. Thanks for reminding me to kill him when I get back tonight," Kouji retorted dryly, somehow sounding sarcastic and deadpan at the same time.

Izumi grinned. "Then you owe me, yeah?"

"Dear god."

She laughed. "Relax. I won't make you do anything…too embarrassing."

"I am so relieved."

"You should be." Izumi tried to summon up a holier-than-thou attitude. Strangely, her sleepiness had vanished completely. "I am, of course, doing you a great favor."

"I'm sure." He paused, and then asked more quietly, "You have my story. Why are you still awake?"

"I don't know. I just didn't feel like sleeping tonight, I guess. Hey, when did you get thrown out?"

"Let's see…an hour ago?"

"Eh, so why didn't you get the message until now? Wait, before you answer that, where on earth _are_ you?"

He laughed faintly, as though from a far distance. She listened with closed eyes and a faint smile on her lips. "My phone was off, I just turned it on to ask if it was safe to go back to the room. And I'm at a coffee shop on the west corner."

That piqued her interest. "The one that's run by the old flower woman?"

"That's the one. You know it?"

"Well," she started to pull a jacket from her clothing pile so that it wouldn't be so cold, "Kouichi took me there once. Said that the latte was to die for."

"It is." He sounded so serious that she had to laugh.

"Really? Funny that you both like it."

There was a pause on his end, before he softly muttered, "Well, I'm the one who showed it to him."

"Oh. That makes sense." She wondered why he sounded so unhappy about it. Was there something going on between them?

"Yeah. So I'm sitting here drinking coffee and plotting ways to ruin my roommate's life. Care to join me?"

She grinned. "What would you say if I said yes?"

There was surprised silence on the other end, and Izumi's jaw abruptly clicked shut. She hadn't planned to accept the offer. Izumi was pretty sure that Kouji didn't expect it either, but then again, maybe he did. It wasn't like she could predict every little nuance of his personality. Still, Izumi was relieved to hear the conspicuous lack of talking on the other end. Short, snappy replies meant annoyance; silence was just surprise.

Kouji was surprisingly sociable today, considering how much he hated getting up this early in the morning. "Then get over here. I think I need a good ranting partner."

She grinned. "You want me to go out into the big scary city all alone?"

"I could pick you up?" He trailed off slightly, and Izumi flushed.

"Do you…" she cleared her throat, gingerly. "Do you drive?"

"Motorcycle."

"Ah." Well, that wasn't entirely unexpected. Still, riding in such close quarters… with Kouji… wasn't a very good idea. Instead, she proposed a cab.

He made a faint, noncommittal sound with his throat. "Your choice."

"Right. I'll see you in thirty minutes?"

"Yeah. See you."

"Yeah."

But neither of them hung up. They stood there, silently, as if there was something more to be said. Eventually she and Kouji started speaking at the exact same time, and it ended up a jumbled mess on the telephone line.

They both laughed.

Kouji stopped first, and said, "Go get ready. I'm at the table to the far right."

"You should get me some coffee…how about an espresso?" It was awkward holding the cell phone without her hands, which were pushing and pulling the clothing in her closet, but she managed somehow.

"Just an espresso?"

Izumi nodded absently to thin air, and immediately regretted it when the phone almost dropped. She stooped to keep it from falling and only picked up the conversation again when she was sure that it wouldn't. "Yeah. Or even lemon tea."

"What blend?"

"Don't know…get me something good?"

"But I don't _drink_ the espresso," he said almost petulantly, and she grinned. It didn't happen very often, but sometimes, hilariously childlike things would bounce out of his mouth. She and everyone else in their group had learned to treasure those moments. They were very entertaining.

"Fine, just get me whatever it is that you're drinking."

"Alright."

"I'll be there in a bit."

"Better hurry or I'll take your share too."

"Kouji!"

"Thirty minutes, Izumi. I'm watching the clock."

She growled and made sure that Kouji heard it; faint rumbles of his laughter faded in with the sound of steam whistling in the background. She hung up, knowing that he never made idle threats. By the time she hailed a cab and stopped in front of the little store, exactly twenty-seven minutes had passed. Kouji was watching the door, obviously waiting for her. And he was smirking.

Izumi snatched up the drink that was waiting for her on the other side of the table and sat down with a prim little sniff. "Mine."

"Yours," he acknowledged, amusement playing in his eyes. He lifted his own cup in a mock toast.

As soon as she had ensured the safety of her precious caffeine, Izumi took a good long look at her friend. Then she reeled back. In the washy morning light, Kouji's eyes clouded over and resembled thick pools of mud. As dark as it was, Izumi could see the faint red tint surrounding his pupils. Many long strands of ebony hair hung loose and his naturally pale cheeks were tinted with shadows, though not so much that someone would notice if they didn't know him well. But Izumi did.

She fought a wave of guilt for not realizing earlier that something was wrong. What kind of friend was she?

Determined to set things right again, she carefully prodded him with her index finger and asked, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said. Leaning back and rolling his head, he returned, "What about you?"

Oh, what a can of worms that poor boy was opening. Izumi set her coffee cup down and said, flatly, "You're talking to the girl who's been dragged everywhere for the past week because her best friend can't stop thinking about the wedding."

He winced sympathetically. "Ouch. Shopping?"

"Yeah," she leaned back in her chair and stretched, wondering how to get the conversation back to Kouji himself. Izumi didn't believe he was fine, not for a second. "I don't mind it usually. But most of the stuff she's buying is for me…"

"That's not a problem for you, is it?" He stared at her, hard.

Izumi stared right back. "I have money of my own. Hers isn't necessary."

He shrugged. "She's just spending excess energy, I think. You want to help her, right?"

Izumi grinned to herself. He sounded so confused, like he was trying his hardest to understand the female brain and failing miserably. "That's not the way I want to help her. There're better things to do with her money. She _is_ getting married."

"Not for a while."

She blinked. "Did Kouichi set a date?"

"The opposite."

"Ah. So he refused to discuss the date."

"Precisely." Kouji seemed pleased. It was probably because none of his classmates knew him well enough to carry on a conversation. What most people would discuss in two sentences he would leave in two words, forcing them to figure his thought process out before they could ever guess what he was trying to say. Izumi, however, had gotten plenty of practice with him in their younger years. Needless to say, she was used to it.

"What do you think about Mimi?"

He stopped drinking and stared at her neutrally. "She's fine."

Izumi scoffed slightly. "I could have told you that. Details, please."

He shrugged as if to say that he didn't know. "Met her once. She seemed nice enough."

"You're worried about him?"

Kouji put down the cup and replied, "Shouldn't I be?"

"Mimi's a good girl." Izumi looked at him in the eye, willing him to believe her.

"I don't doubt that. My mother was a good girl too."

Izumi stared. "Are you seriously comparing Kouichi to your father? No offense, Kouji, but…"

"I know," he muttered, a little embarrassed. "I just…feel bad about it. I don't think I know him anymore. You know he didn't tell me that he was engaged? Until I called him and asked how he was?"

Ah, so that was the real problem. Not Mimi herself, but the way that Kouichi had tucked her away from his family's prying eyes. Izumi suddenly felt frustrated and angry, not at the twins but at their father. Irrationally enough, she just couldn't forgive the older man for what he had done. Kouji probably wouldn't have trust issues if his father had just told him the truth of things. The same went for his older brother. She took a deep breath, trying not to show Kouji how angry she was. It wouldn't help the situation any. "Do you know why?"

"Hishou." The look on his face was sour.

Izumi sputtered and all thoughts of bad father figures vanished. Hishou. She hadn't heard that name in a long time – she'd just assumed – well, wasn't that whole fiasco over? Maybe not, if Kouji was mentioning her now. "You think Kouichi's worried that Mimi will be just like her?"

Kouji looked at her. Izumi looked back incredulously. Now she understood perfectly where he was coming from, even if his reasoning was a little ridiculous. After all, Mimi didn't even like Kouji, while Hishou Rin had practically melted in front of him. They couldn't be more different. Suddenly, a new idea occurred to her, so absurd that it just might be true. Izumi filed it away, hoping that what happened tonight would confirm or deny it, but god… if that was what happened… so many things would make sense. Izumi couldn't tell if it was a selfish or selfless thing for Kouji to do. She just knew that it was stupid.

He took a drink with unsteady hands. The coffee wasn't steaming hot anymore, but Kouji didn't seem to care. "Funny, isn't it. I destroyed my brother's first serious relationship without even trying."

Izumi looked up, grabbed his shirt collar, and slapped him. The sound echoed off the nearly empty café's walls.

Kouji touched his hand to the reddened cheek and stared at her in disbelief. Izumi left him hanging for a while, thinking that it would do him good to reflect on all of the things wrong with what he had just said. "Don't you dare blame yourself for that. Do you understand me, Kouji?"

They stared at each other unblinkingly, until Kouji slid his hand off of his face and quietly asked, "Who do you blame, then?"

She closed her eyes. "Everyone. No one. Things like that just happen, Kouji."

"Doesn't mean that it's not my fault." A strange bitter expression glimmered in his eyes. Izumi didn't like the way it looked and quietly resolved to make it disappear.

"That's true," she said, mostly to see him stare at her in shock, "But you were no more guilty than anyone else. You didn't _know_ that Hishou-san would like you that way. You didn't even know her at all. Kouichi doesn't blame you for it, he doesn't blame anyone for it. Not even himself."

There was a dubious look on Kouji's face, and Izumi knew that she was in for a hard time convincing her friend that he couldn't have done anything. When he actually opened his mouth, however, it was to ask such an innocent, painful question that she wanted to cry. "What about my father, then?"

After all this time, did he still care about that? Izumi sucked in her anger and asked, "What about him?"

He fingered his tablecloth. "Was it my father's fault that I didn't know about Kouichi?"

"Kouji, don't change the subject."

"I'm not. Just tell me."

Izumi couldn't see how Minamoto Kousei's problems related to the subject at hand, but more to the point, she didn't want to touch that issue with a ten-foot pole. It was clearly too early for this. Swallowing the last drops of suddenly bitter coffee, she asked, "Why do you want to know?"

He looked up suddenly and told her, "Because I'm just like him. Wreaking relationships, I mean."

She closed her eyes. "Half."

"What?"

"Half of you is your father. The other half is your mother, isn't it?"

He looked at her and shook his head bemusedly. "Genetics don't automatically determine personality, Izumi. I was raised by my father, wasn't I?"

"And by your stepmother."

Kouji swallowed hard, suddenly. "I suppose. So am I?"

"Are you what?"

"Like my father?"

"Let me put it this way. You are just as close to your father as Kouichi is."

He snorted.

Izumi glared at him balefully. "No, no, you listen. Do you think that you're the only one who has personality issues because of family problems? Newsflash. Kouichi had to grow up in a single parent home. You think that it was easy for him to propose to Mimi, knowing that he can't even remember the last time he had a father figure, good or bad? He's not going to know how to treat her at first. He'll make mistakes, he'll try to fix them. He's _just as inexperienced as you are._ That's the only reason Kouichi didn't tell you. He knows that the minute he tells you, he also has to tell everybody else. And then what? If they break up, wouldn't it be worse if his younger brother hung around making things awkward? And you know that you would. You're too protective of him not to."

Towards the end of her monologue she started thinking that no one should have to be this coherent on two or three hours of sleep. Kouji seemed to agree, if the slight twitch in his eye was any indication.

When no counterarguments greeted her outburst, Izumi knew that it was over. Now was the time to retreat and let her opinion sink in. With an air of quiet triumph, she added, "He's your brother. That's not going to change. Mimi's going to be your sister-in-law. That's probably not going to change either."

Kouji sighed. "Why do I get the feeling that you know Kouichi better than I do?"

"I don't," she informed him. "I just figure that the more guesses I have, the closer I get to the truth. Maybe I'm wrong. But at least I'm still trying to understand."

"Then maybe _I'm_ right."

"Maybe, but do you really think so? Is Kouichi the kind of person to blame his brother when he can just as easily blame himself?"

Kouji stared at a distant point somewhere on the horizon. "Do you think that you might be part of the reason?"

Izumi blinked. "What do you mean?"

He coughed discreetly.

She stared at him and _blushed_. "Oh. Oh!"

"Right."

Izumi looked away, feeling incredibly embarrassed. In all their years together, they had never spoken directly about what Kouichi wanted them to be, although it was silently understood that he was still trying to make it happen. Now she realized that her approach to figuring out the older twin's motives had been too straightforward. She never even thought to include…well, other issues. Like issues of matchmaking. The blush on her cheeks burned even more and she covered her face with mortification. "I, um. I suppose that Kouichi's probably thinking of that, too. And family. And maybe Hishou-san, though I doubt it."

"So complicated. Why is he even trying to fix us?" Kouji rubbed his temple absently.

"Well, what you expect with Kouichi?" Izumi wanted to ask why Kouji even brought up the subject of their complicated relationship, but decided against it. Maybe later. Much, much later, when she wasn't painfully aware of being alone with him in the corner of a café on a Saturday morning. If he hadn't been such a close friend, she would have felt awkward. If he hadn't been such a close friend, she wouldn't have a reason to feel awkward. Oh, how she hated paradoxes.

Instead of arguing, Kouji almost smiled. "You'd make a good politician."

Appropriately scandalized, Izumi held a hand to her chest and gasped, "Take that back!"

He grinned and called the waitress, a slender brown haired girl who looked rather dazed at the attention. Izumi laughed silently to herself, not blaming her one bit. It _was_ a little disorienting to see him alternate so quickly between brooding silence and perfect courtesy. She refused to think about other reasons to feel disoriented in front of him. After ordering a coffee refill, Kouji turned to her and asked, "Why not?"

"I wouldn't survive in politics. Too honest, I think." She looked at him oddly, but eventually shook her head. Kouji really needed to learn how to tactfully change the subject. Well, it didn't matter; she was already done. For now, it was enough to convince him that Kouichi didn't blame him for anything except overprotectiveness. As if in agreement, her stomach growled and the quiet mood shattered into a million little pieces.

Izumi looked up with a blush on her face. Kouji snickered quietly, looking almost healthy again. The exhaustion on his face was much less pronounced than before. She wondered how much of the change was caused by the caffeine boost and how much of it wasn't.

"Hungry?"

She glared at him, but couldn't bring herself to feel angry. "Yes, I am, and yes, you're paying."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't make me hit you again." She wouldn't, but fortunately for her, Kouji didn't know that.

"Yes, ma'am." Or maybe he did.


	10. Chapter 9: Long Story Short

Fans of Kouichi, this chapter is for you...even if one of his otherwise well-thought out plans goes all whacko on him.

A bit of a transition, or else you're never going to understand what happens next. Outline for next chapter is done, first draft is halfway.

EDITED. Sorry for all the inbox spam, I guess DX

* * *

Chapter 9: Long story short

* * *

_Love, a race_

_Without an end_

_Men and women_

_must contend_

_

* * *

_They were late.

Kouichi huffed slightly out of the corner of his mouth and flipped another page of the book over. Outside, the sun was just beginning to set, which meant that the windows were utterly useless for watching the roads outside. It was just bright enough indoors that the glass would reflect back like a mirror. Kouichi pressed his hand against the windowpane and watched it fog up around his skin.

Mimi laughed.

The sound made him tune in to the conversations around him, long enough to hear his fiancée giggle at an inside joke. The redhead – Sora? – said something about a cowboy hat. While Kouichi didn't know what that meant, it made Mimi blush in a very becoming way and he resolved to find out by the end of tonight.

Where was his brother? For that matter, where was Izumi?

He had called both of them earlier, at the _proper_ meeting time, but…no dice. Kouichi scowled and swore to find them both after all this was over and beat them over their heads. What was the point of avoiding the party? Everything was already inevitable.

Although Kouichi's fingers were still turning the pages at regular intervals, nothing in the book lodged firmly into his head. In fact, the only thing he knew about the story was that it was much less interesting than speculating about his brother's whereabouts. World War I just couldn't compare – as _utterly_ fascinating as that subject was.

The clock hit eight o'clock and Kouichi sighed. It was time to stop wondering about his missing brother, even if something inside of him protested that Kouji wasn't this much of a coward. Not enough to break a promise…Being the clueless one for a change wasn't a comfortable feeling at all. A dull sense of foreboding settled in his stomach.

In the background, Mimi was asking Sora – that _should_ be her name, right? – about wedding dresses.

Kouichi blinked slowly through an immense fog of confusion. It made his head spin to go from the topic that he was most serious about – dear little brother – to that. He listened with half an ear to the chatter of lace and cloth, but spent more time watching the cheerful expression on his fiancée's face. Selective hearing was something that he had learned a long time ago so that he could put up with Kouji, since it was so much easier to appreciate a bizarre conversation if it made the other person happy. Really, his fiancée was more like the so-called Jerk than she thought.

Mimi turned around, somehow sensing his gaze, and smiled at him. "What about you, Kouichi?"

He blinked. "Eh?"

She gave a great dramatic sigh, but in such a cheerful way that it completely canceled out any ill feelings. "What are you going to wear?"

"A tuxedo?" he offered sheepishly, not knowing what she wanted him to say.

Mimi giggled but shook her head. "No, no, listen. If we're going to have a Western-style wedding…"

"Which we probably will," he pointed out, "since you like them and I don't really care either way."

"Exactly, so I need to wear white."

"You need to wear white even for a normal wedding."

"All the more reason for you to do the same!"

"Wait, what?" Kouichi stared at her, wondering how such an unassuming, straightforward girl managed to catch him off guard more often than his best female friend, who was considerably more mischievous, or his brother, who was considerably more cunning. And then he remembered that he was in a relationship with her, which automatically placed Mimi in a category of her own.

She smiled at him. It took a while for Kouichi to realize that she was just joking, thankfully. He had no desire to look like a ghost, which was exactly what would happen with a white suit on his pale skin. Mimi, being Mimi, already knew better than to suggest it.

She was just trying to distract him. The dear, dear girl…he smiled cheerfully and joined in the fun. "So if I wear black, would you wear it with me?"

Mimi looked scandalized. "Black at a wedding?!"

Sora quipped, "Shows off your figure, right?"

"No, no, no," the brunette groaned. "Black looks awful on me."

Kouichi blinked slowly, puzzled. "But I heard that every girl has little black dress somewhere in her closet?"

"Usually," Sora said, with her nose slightly wrinkled. "But I'm not really sure why."

"For you, the problem's not the color, it's the dress," Mimi sighed.

"That too."

"Sora, please!"

"Wearing the bridesmaid's dress for you," the girl retorted with a smile, "is already enough!"

"Ooh, you're just like Izumi – can't understand these things at all…you would have loved her, you know."

Sora rested her head on her knees and rocked back and forth. "Would have?"

"Well, Izumi's not exactly here," Mimi pointed out.

"But where is she?"

The girl exhaled slowly. "Well, I'd love to tell you, but…"

"She's not exactly cooperating with us," Kouichi sighed, struck by a black cloud of depression. Part of the problem with having friends like Izumi was their spontaneity. It was entirely possible that she had completely forgotten about everything in favor of some rabbit lying in the street. And that she would turn off her phone for the express purpose of allowing the animal some peace and quiet.

Although he assumed that she would at least send him a message if that happened.

Plus, it was too suspicious that both of them were absent, because Kouji would never miss a chance to see his brother. Or, at least, the old Kouji wouldn't have. Kouichi completely understood why his brother was so uncomfortable with the state of their relationship. Things were changing, even the good things. It would be a while before everyone could stop walking on eggshells all the time. On the other hand, Kouichi wasn't afraid of letting his life spiral out of control for a while, while Kouji…

"I don't know where they are," he said quietly, not voicing any of his suspicions, "I've tried calling, but it doesn't seem to work."

Mimi huffed. "Well, if they don't hurry up, we'll be doing things without them." She tapped on the flowery stationery on Kouichi's coffee table.

Sora giggled. "Not that we haven't been doing it already."

"Well…just the dresses. And the flowers. And anyways, Izumi would have been dragging her feet the entire way, saying that everything was too fancy," Mimi grinned.

A satisfied smile tugged at Kouichi's lips. "That sounds like our Izumi alright."

"And I don't think your brother would have helped much either."

"Of course not. He's not exactly the type to spew romantics."

"Geez." Mimi shook her head. "How on earth did you guys grow up to be so different?"

"Well, actually…we're both a little screwed up in the head."

"But you're not as bad," Mimi protested generously.

Kouichi groaned, "Oh, that was cruel. Not even my own fiancée denies it!"

"Your insanity?" Mimi batted her eyelashes. Then she paused. "Well, maybe not insanity. We need a better word."

Sora suggested, "Eccentric?"

Mimi shook her head.

"Quirky?"

"Mean?"

"Outlandish?"

"Strange?"

"Oh, you two!" Mimi huffed. "Don't go dictionary crazy on me."

They all laughed. Then Kouichi said, "I like the word bizarre, personally," and that was that. Mimi leaned over to kiss his cheek, long lashes fluttering against his skin. He smiled.

Sora eyed them indulgently before asking, "What are they like?"

"They?" Mimi leaned against her fiancé's shoulder, trying to find a comfortable place by his side. "You mean, Izumi and Kouji?"

"Yeah."

"We-ll." Mimi scrunched up her nose.

Kouichi laughed at his fiancée's reaction and took the lead. "My brother is pretty different from me. He's a lot more physical, for one thing…"

"Not the best choice of wording, Kouichi."

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. "Sorry. But he is, you know. More physical. You would probably just call him violent, but that's not completely true. It depends on his mood. And on whether or not I'm in the room with him."

Mimi exhaled slowly. "You're making excuses for him," she said.

Kouichi sighed, knowing that his fiancée and his brother didn't and probably wouldn't ever get along very well. Mimi just couldn't take pleasure in bantering with him the same way Izumi did. And Kouji didn't know how to treat a girl like Mimi. It was one of the many reasons that the younger twin would probably end up dating his best friend rather than his 'ideal woman'.

Although Kouji was pretty resistant to the idea of dating _anyone_. Hence Kouichi's frustration.

Sora was still rocking back and forth on the white couch impatiently. "So he's a jerk?"

"Nope," Mimi said, "He's not _a_ jerk, he's _the_ Jerk."

They all laughed. Kouichi himself admitted, "It's true. Even I can't say anything about that, and I'm his brother!"

"You'll understand when he gets here. If he ever gets here. It's probably physically painful for him to say something nice."

Sora began to frown. "I'm not sure if I want to meet him now."

Mimi nodded in agreement. "He told me that I was _alright_, you know that?"

"Huh?"

"It was just last week," she said, scowling. "When he saw me, he looked up and down and said, 'You're alright.' And then he ignored me for the rest of the party!" Curiously, Mimi didn't even sound offended about the remark anymore. She was surprisingly quick to forgive, if not to forget.

Kouichi felt an irrational urge to defend his brother. "That's really the best you can expect from him, you know."

"Which is awful," Mimi retorted. "He could at least try to say more than four words, you know."

And what could Kouichi say to that? His brother wasn't shy at all – Mimi just happened to be used to affection, not teasing, and Kouji was very obviously on the other end of the spectrum. "I think he did. Just, you know, not to you."

She groaned. "Yeah, because I'm not a childhood friend." Was that disappointment in her voice?

Kouichi stifled the feeling of unfounded jealousy by remembering that Kouji was very, very unlikely to give Mimi a reason to like him. Immediately afterwards, he felt _awful_ for thinking that way. Did he or did he not want them to get along?

In the meantime, Sora had moved on to the subject of the missing blond girl. Mimi was considerably happier to be talking about Izumi than about Kouji. In fact, she was so enthusiastic that Kouichi was cut off every time he so much as opened his mouth – but he didn't mind. With his long-time friends, especially Izumi and Kouji, he was used to playing the third wheel and profiting from it. A minor thing like that didn't bother him at all, especially with so much blackmail material just waiting to be found.

Even if some of the stories made Kouichi wince slightly. Hopefully, Mimi wouldn't tell _Kouji_ just how many guys Izumi had to turn down or how many chocolates she ended up donating on Valentine's Day. Kouichi wasn't afraid of very many things, but when his twin was honestly, truly angry, there was always hell to pay.

Since the girls were locked in a conversation again, Kouichi couldn't resist calling the two missing people one more time. Kouji's phone, as expected, went straight to voicemail. After already leaving three messages, it wasn't like one more would count for anything. He scrolled back to Izumi's number, and was entirely caught off guard when she _answered_.

"Hello?"

He almost forgot to say something in his shock. "Izumi, where are you?"

Mimi's voice faltered in mid-sentence and she looked over at her fiancé with an expression of confusion and impatience. Sora stopped rocking and started listening intently to his half of the conversation.

"Kouichi!" Izumi's voice came out indistinctly over the phone line. "Um, I'm really sorry if I'm late?"

"You are _very_ late," he replied, grinning helplessly, "but I might forgive you if you have a good excuse –"

Someone was talking in the background. The phone rattled and clacked when it changed hands. Then there was a young man's voice, one that Kouichi would recognize it anywhere. "Hey, Aniki."

"Kouji, where the hell are you?" Actually, a better question would have been _why are you with Izumi_, but Kouichi decided that patience was more important when talking to someone like his brother. All in good time, all in good time.

"Ah. About that, something's come up."

Kouji's voice danced on the borderline between apologetic and…something else. It sounded like rage, though Kouichi had no idea why his brother would be so angry. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that unless you want to cut me in half, I can't come to your house. Sorry about that. You can yell at me when I drop Izumi off if you want."

"Kouji, I told you a week ago –"

"And I told you, something's come up." Kouji paused, then said reassuringly, "It's okay. I'll talk to you later. Don't worry so much about me, alright?"

"But where're you going?"

"Work," he said distantly.

"Oh." Kouichi tried to ask the question burning on the tip of his tongue, but his brother suddenly cut him off again.

"We'll be at your apartment soon."

"Where are you right now?"

"At the train station."

"You do remember the way, right?"

"I'm not like Izumi, you know," Kouji muttered. A woman's voice responded indignantly in the background, and Kouichi couldn't help but laugh.

Mimi looked at him with a puzzled frown on her face. Kouichi held one finger up to tell her to wait, then he proclaimed to his brother, "She's really not that bad."

Kouji didn't say anything; the soft, restrained snickers did it all for him. For someone who was headed to work, he didn't sound all that disappointed. "Okay, I'm off then. Don't call me on the road. You know that I can't exactly answer you on a motorcycle."

"Why's Izumi there, by the way?" Kouichi asked, just a little too late. The sound of static filled his ears. Sighing with frustration, he turned his face back to the living room. "They'll be here soon. Should be only five minutes if they're at the station and Kouji drives the way he always does."

"Finally," Sora said, stretching all four limbs into a star-shaped position on the couch. "I was getting tired of waiting."

"But Kouji's not staying," he finished, wondering if he was the only one disappointed by the news.

Mimi certainly wasn't. "Oh, really?"

Kouichi didn't know Sora well enough to decipher the expression on her face…but she certainly didn't look very unhappy. He sighed again. "Well, he's dropping her off here."

They both blinked at him. Mimi finally asked, "Wait, they're…?"

He grinned ever so slightly. "What did you expect?"

"Not that," she admitted. "Your brother doesn't seem the type to move fast." Sora stared at them both, looking completely lost.

"He's not." Which begged the question, what exactly was going on?

"Did you expect for them to…you know?" Mimi made a vague gesture with her left hand.

Kouichi shook his head. "I don't think that they're doing anything, actually. Best friends, remember?"

"I think I'm missing something," Sora declared suddenly. "You know, like the invisible elephant in the room." Kouichi looked at Mimi, who looked back. Both were slightly flushed, as if they had been caught doing something underhanded. The redhead just rolled her eyes. "Could someone please explain what is going on here?"

Mimi suddenly held her palms up like sock puppets. "Okay, this is Izumi," she wiggled the fingers on her right hand, "and this is the Jerk," she waved her other hand. Then she clapped them together. "This is what should be happening, but isn't."

Sora and Kouichi both stared at her. Then the redheaded girl began to shake with laughter. "Only you, Mimi, only you."

She glared at them and huffed, "What?"

"Never mind," Kouichi finally said, hiding a smile of his own. "But yes, that's what's going on, so I'm trying to get them both to stop being so stubborn and actually – "

"Get on with it?" Sora finished cheekily.

"Bingo!"

"Which is a lot harder than it looks, you know."

"I can imagine," Sora said dryly, "since we can't even get them to show up."

"What could they possibly be doing so late at night?"

"Most likely? Nothing."

Mimi tapped her cheek thoughtfully with one perfectly manicured nail. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Of course," Kouichi agreed, though not without uncertainty. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else going on – there always was with his brother – but it was weak enough to ignore for the moment. Besides, Sora was talking again and he didn't want to risk alienating his fiancée's friend by getting lost in his own thoughts.

"So, let me get this straight. Being the nice older brother that you are…"

"Why, thank you."

"…you've taken on the job of getting them together?"

"There's nobody else to do it."

"Why? Are they in denial?"

Kouichi propped his elbow on the arm of the sofa. Thoughtful creases appeared on the skin of his forehead. "See, that's the thing. I'm pretty sure that they know that I know that…well, they know. It's just that Kouji won't act on it. And apparently, Izumi won't do anything if he doesn't."

"I don't understand why, either," Mimi frowned, "He's not nearly as mean to _her _as he is to the rest of the world."

"Does that actually mean anything?"

"Who knows."

Kouji leaned against the bike and stretched his neck muscles with a groan. The way to his brother's apartment was familiar enough for him to let his mind wander. Not that he had much to wonder about. His life used to be constant, and monotonous, and almost boring. It was only recently that his much-loved control had crumbled to pieces. No, not just recently. Things had begun to fall apart much earlier than that, right?

Not that any of that was important. Never had been, never would be. What was most important right now was the pristine white envelope hidden under his jacket.

Decisions, decisions. Why were they ever invented?

Probably to torment people like him.

Absently, Kouji kicked his feet against the pavement. Izumi had gone inside to get a bottle of water, so he took the opportunity to make another call. Just to prove how much of a glutton for punishment he was.

It rang three times before someone picked up. Apparently, the offices were still busy with the usual afternoon clientele. Kouji being there would probably make things even worse, but it wasn't like he had a choice.

"Good evening, this is Minamoto Kouji. Yes, I know. May I speak to Father, please...."


	11. Chapter 10: Checks and balances

Yeah, so. Finally, I'm updating this. I'm sorry if it took a while. Schoolwork and all.

Pure Coincidence will be updating tomorrow. Or Sunday. Depends on a lot of things.

So, uh. Keep an eye out for the drama.

Thanks for all the reviews! Inspiration was seriously lacking there for a moment. The chapter's still a little short by my standards, but...whatever.

* * *

Chapter 10: Checks and balances

* * *

_Love, a feather_

_in the air_

_Til it falls_

_On golden hair.

* * *

_Orange or mint?

Orange or mint?

It was the ultimate question to end all questions.

Orange or mint?

Izumi sighed and chewed her lip worriedly. Before her, a long row of glistening clear boxes ran up and down the aisle. Each row had a different color; each color had a different flavor. Right now, she was stuck between two of them, and had been for the past ten minutes. It really shouldn't take this long to decide which Tic Tacs to buy, right?

She would have just taken _both_ boxes, but cold logic held her back by reminding her that she was already running a little short on money this month. Out of all the problems that a college student had to face, finances were the worst. The very thought made Izumi freeze with annoyance and exasperation. Tomorrow, she was going to interview for a job in a small boutique just on the outskirts of downtown in hopes that they would offer longer hours than her current workplace, but what was tomorrow could be dealt with tomorrow, while today…

Today she was short of money.

In the end, Izumi walked out of the store without buying anything, just in time to catch Kouji on the tail end of a conversation. The transition was perfect, really, because the bell on the door drowned out everything but a quick, "I'll be there soon."

When he hung up, she asked, "Was that Kouichi again?" with a spunky grin, hoping that it was. Kouji could say whatever he liked about his family, but at least his older brother always knew how to cheer him up.

She waited expectantly, but her friend shook his head, whipping the long black ponytail from side to side. "No, but I guess it's close enough. Ready to go?"

No eye contact.

She blinked. "Kouji?"

The motor hummed to life and buried her voice. Then the elegant young man looked back up at her expectantly, just waiting. A vague aura of impatience surrounded them, Izumi began to walk forward almost against her will onto the back of his silver-gray motorcycle. She tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist and felt him tense up, though not as much as he had this morning. His fingers were gripped tightly around the handlebars.

Izumi grinned mischievously before remembering to probe him again, "Kouji?"

"Hm?" His voice was strained.

Her best-friend-instincts kicked into high gear for the second and hopefully last time that day. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you serious? We've already been through this. I'm not going to stop asking, so you might as well just tell me."

He shrugged rather halfheartedly. "I'm just tired. Having to work on the weekend does that to you."

Izumi scoffed quietly, "Bad excuse. You _could_ just tell your workplace that you can't come on such short notice."

A disbelieving, long-suffering look came to rest on his face. He was scowling determinedly. "Unfortunately, I don't think they can do anything without me."

"And you don't have any self-confidence at all, right?" She blew a long strand of hair away from her eyes, wondering which depressed Kouji she preferred: the silently insecure or the unpleasantly outspoken. Really, neither was a good sign. Kouji was at his best with a smile on his face – not that it happened very often. She used to spend hours trying to coax a small grin out of him, much less a laugh. Things seemed to be better now, but his laughter was so strained and artificial, like rocks choking up his trachea. A politician's laughter.

Hm. Kouji as a politician. Izumi didn't like the profession much, but he would probably do well…

On the other hand, if he ended up as a politician, she would probably lose him as a friend – because politics didn't leave much room for the simple pleasures in life. Izumi didn't want that. She was just too selfish to let him go that route, no matter what.

"It has nothing to do with confidence," he shrugged, "There's a problem and they need me to fix it. That's all."

"Where do you work?" she asked curiously.

"Why, are you going to apply there? Be my guest."

"Kouji!" Blushing brightly, the blond girl tightened her hold around his waist and gave him a nudge with her knee. Minamoto Kouji _did not flirt_, but sometimes his teasing came close. Incredibly close. He didn't necessarily mean anything by it, but that didn't stop people from misunderstanding their relationship. Or understanding it perfectly. Or…well, Izumi didn't have the right to pass judgment when she herself didn't know where they were headed.

Kouji didn't say anything, but she could practically see the smile under his helmet. He kicked off the pavement and then they were flying down the street, weaving in and out of traffic. Since it was already dark outside, the other cars looked like brilliant flashes of light. Izumi squeaked when they almost brushed against the side of a truck. Through her arms, she could feel his chest rumbling softly: he was laughing. That bastard, he did it on purpose!

Only the fact that Kouji was still driving on a busy street kept her from lecturing him. Really, what a reckless guy....

Ten minutes of traffic and ringing ears later, she slid off the back of his motorcycle and yawned. A gentle tug on her wrist made her turn around again. "Hm?"

Kouji was holding her left hand between his forefinger and thumb almost gingerly. "Tell Kouichi that I'm sorry."

That got her wide-awake. "You're not going to come in?"

"No," he sighed. "I need to leave."

"You won't even greet your own brother?"

"Izumi…"

"That's so rude of you."

"Hey, I don't think you have any room to talk."

"Neither do you. Now hush and come in."

Kouji sighed again. "Not today, Izumi. I'm already running late."

"Well, two or three more minutes won't matter."

His lips twitched ever so slightly. "They might." He pulled the helmet back on and flipped the black visor down. Only the faintest glint of light fell on the reflective surface.

Izumi waved somewhat sluggishly, wondering why it felt like _farewell_ instead of _see you later_. Almost to reassure herself, she rubbed her arms up and down. It wasn't even slightly cold. "Don't work yourself to death, okay?"

Kouji lifted two fingers in a mock salute. Then he drove off into the distance.

* * *

It wasn't lying.

Kouji repeated this to himself over and over on the way to the office. Technically speaking, he had nothing to worry about. It was work and business, nothing personal. Even Izumi hadn't noticed…

Hell, who was he trying to convince? At the next red light, Kouji decided to turn over into an empty alleyway where the traffic was sparse enough to park at the curb. He pulled his helmet off and just breathed. The air was salty with just the barest hints of smoke.

It was work.

It _was_ work.

It was _work_.

Kouji absently kicked the curb in frustration, but for reasons unknown to him, it didn't seem fair to blame the sidewalk for his family problems. Maybe he should kick his father…? Ha, and maybe the sun would rise in the west tomorrow.

And maybe he would also spontaneously grow some guts. (Guts to do what, though?)

He checked the time. Still fifteen minutes to go. His father was already at the office, but Kouji wanted to wait as long as he possibly could before doing anything about it. Call it cowardice, call it self-preservation, call it what you will – he didn't know and didn't care. It was a very selfish move on his part, but Kouji figured that he deserved the break every once in a while.

Absently, he flipped open the silver blue cell phone to send a message to his roommate, more out of habit than anything else. Akiyama could be surprisingly…motherly. Ugh. That was a horrible mental image.

_Hey, going to be late coming back. Don't call the police like last time._

_Got a hot date?_ came the cheeky reply. Kouji decided not to even answer that.

The metal was warm in his hand; he hesitated before shoving it back into his pocket. Then he walked back to the motorcycle and kept going. Work was some five miles from Kouichi's place, and even closer to his own. As for where, well...where else? His father was a businessman. It surely followed that he would be an intern at the same company, though he took over management of the Shibuya branch a few months ago, which meant that he spent most of his time either working or studying. More importantly, he didn't need to consult his father over every single issue that came up – which had been a sticking point for the longest time.

But not because he didn't get along with his parents. _Getting along_ could be stretched any number of ways.

Two more traffic lights. Then he would see his father again for the first time in at least fourteen months. A yearlong business trip, eh? Unbelievable.

Not that it had anything to do with _him_.

Kouji was just fine with not knowing any more than he had to.

He pulled up at a relatively busy intersection and parked behind a tall, gray building. Glass windows glinted in the dying sun's rays in all the colors of the rainbow. Beautiful, but ultimately useless. The cold iron doors bit into the skin of his palm and he realized belatedly that he needed to pull, not push. Where the hell was his logic today?

The lobby opened up to a secretary's office. Nikara looked up with her long wire-framed glasses and smiled blankly. He tilted his head slightly and didn't pause for a minute. She wouldn't take offense – she wouldn't dare. He opened the door to the office at exactly nine fifteen, straight into the back of a suit.

The collision was neat, like everything else about their relationship. Kouji could practically see the fabric folding itself back together like a xylophone. The distance between them vanished and reappeared without delivering any impact at all. It was almost like weightlessness, disbelieving weightlessness, like a dream. Before his father could turn around, he schooled his expression into something calm, silent, and completely business-like.

"Good evening, father," said Kouji.

"Good evening," said his father.

"Good evening," said the soft-spoken woman behind him.

Kouji glanced at her. "Takashi-san." She flinched at the sound of his voice. He was intrigued and exasperated.

His father was just exasperated. "Takashi, go out to the hallway."

"She can stay," he interjected. "Either way, the hallway walls are thin enough for eavesdropping…accidentally."

Something sharp pierced the silence. It came from his father's eyes. "Kouji –"

"You taught me everything I know, father."

"…Hm." The older man accepted the explanation without hesitation. "Why did you call me back from Osaka? I won't take any responsibility for what happens here."

"Ah, that." Kouji slid cold fingers from where they had been clenched to his jacket. "Kouichi's getting married."

His father actually froze. The tense line of his shoulders ran all the way down to his waist. "So I've heard."

"From the family," his son finished for him. "I know. Will you be at the wedding?"

"I haven't thought about it," Kousei said, almost grudgingly. It was obvious why he was uncomfortable. In any other situation, saying something like that would have been a sign of weakness, and oh, how their entire family hated the taste of weakness. Kouji was not an exception, but today, he felt a little more forgiving. It was probably Izumi's influence. Spending an entire day out with a girl who smiled like summer did awful things to his emotionlessness. He didn't know whether to bless her or curse her.

"Not yet," Kouji corrected.

"Yet?"

"What else? I'm inviting you."

"Right now?"

"Kouichi is my brother," he retorted, "I have a few reserved spots for guests."

The white envelope was pushed forward on the desk. Everything from the golden seal to the faintly imprinted front was perfectly simple and indecorous. It was just what it looked like, an envelope like any other envelope.

"This isn't exactly what I expected from you."

A flare of temper rose and died miserably. "What did you expect?"

"Business."

Kouji felt like laughing. "Father, this _is_ business."

"I see that. You want me to attend as your business associate."

"If you like." A slow, meaningful shrug stretched over his torso.

"I won't be responsible for what other people say about it, Kouji. You know that no matter how you phrase it, nothing is going to change."

"Of course not. I told you. This has nothing to do with you personally. I'll take the fall for anything that happens."

"Does Kouichi know?"

"No."

"Why not?" It was well hidden, but a burst of surprise broke through the mask. Kouji felt a bit of vindictive satisfaction at the sight; then he hated himself for being so childish. Through the corner of his eye, he could see Takashi-san tapping her fingers together. Almost fidgeting, not quite. It was probably out of nostalgia more than anything, remembering the days when someone else used to sit at his desk. Kouji was fairly new to the job, after all.

"Kouichi doesn't need to know," he replied. "This has nothing to do with him, either."

"And he is not my son?"

Don't make me say this, father.

Don't make me.

No, there's no choice.

"_Kouichi_ doesn't seem to think so." There, you see? Look what you made me do.

It was obvious that his father was trying to restrain himself. Easier said than done. After a few minutes of awkward silence only broken by Takashi-san's nervous breathing, Kousei returned to the conversation. "How are you going to explain it?"

"Explain what?"

"My invitation."

A shrug. "Kouichi knows enough. And it's better this way."

"What does he know?"

Digging, digging, his father was digging. Skirting around the issue. Kouji wondered where he was trying to lead the conversation. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. This whole meeting should not be happening. Why did he ever…?"Just how many people I'll be bringing."

A long, elegant hand came to rest on the white envelope. "If I don't come?"

Kouji shrugged. "That's entirely your decision. There's no need to RSVP. I'll keep the spot open." He paused purposefully. "Even if you don't come."

"When?"

"Next summer."

Takashi-san opened her mouth and suddenly looked at ease, probably because she could slide back into secretary-mode. "If there's a set date then – "

"Not yet."

A confused look came to rest on her perfectly oval face. "Then why now…?"

"It's just a warning. So you won't go on another yearlong trip." Kouji rested his head on his hands.

His father gave a short nod. "Alright."

"You have something else to ask me."

Kousei paused and looked at him dead in the eye. "Kouji, what are you trying to gain from this?"

"That's my business, not yours."

"Your business is – " His father broke himself off, apparently realizing that getting upset was exactly the wrong thing to do.

Kouji said quietly, "I think we're done here."

"We aren't done until we're _done_."

"The trains stop running at ten, father. You have twenty minutes."

"I came in a company car."

"Oh," he murmured, not sure what else to say. "That's quite…a long drive."

"Yes, it was."

"Why not take the train?"

A faint look of disapproval showed on his father's face. "A private car is more comfortable to travel in."

A private – just what was his father doing? Kouji didn't want to comment on that. So, he didn't. "It's late. Are you going to drive back?"

"I'll be staying at a hotel."

"Ask Nikara to make you arrangements. We have a contract with the inn just around the corner."

"I know."

"Ah, sorry. I already told you."

His father nodded. "You've been doing very well."

"Thank you, father. Good night."

"Good night."

The two visitors made to leave. Slow, steady steps drummed on the floor, accompanied by feminine heels, but Takashi-san looked back for just a split second. Eye contact at its worst, really. Just…enough.

Kouji cleared his throat decisively. "Takashi-san!" They both stopped and turned to look at him. It was rather unnerving, but he should already be used to it. Should be, but wasn't. "There are two invites in that envelope."

The gray-eyed woman stared openly at him. "O-oh." Then she bowed rapidly. "Thank you."

"Don't make me regret this."

"Kouji," his father murmured warningly.

He tilted his head and opened his arms wide. "It's true."

Deep frustration flickered on Minamoto Kousei's face, but he said nothing. Takashi-san bowed again. "Thank you, thank you."

She was such a submissive little thing. It was almost disturbing. Kouji ground his teeth together and barely managed to say, "No, thank _you_."

The woman smiled.

Izumi would never have – he cut himself off before the thought could go any further. Then the two silhouettes vanished into the hallway like a dream or a nightmare or some odd mixture of both.

Kouji slumped forward with a groan. Keeping a straight face in front of his father was harder than it looked. Keeping a straight face while nearly having a heart attack was even worse. He hoped that his discomfort wasn't obvious because otherwise it would be so embarrassing to do business with them later.

He waited until their voices died down. Nikara's typing was loud enough to penetrate the walls all the way from the reception desk. Kouji didn't mind. At least he could tell when she was working.

And he could also tell when no one was nearby.

And no one was nearby right now.

He kicked the rolling chair away and sighed heavily. "Seriously, Kouichi, it's all your fault…"


	12. Chapter 11: You break it, you pay for it

I'm sorry for the lateness, but as I explained elsewhere - not a whole lot of time on my hands.

This _will_ be finished, though.

Thanks for waiting!

* * *

Chapter 11: You break it, you pay for it

* * *

_Love dreams_

_Of pale skies_

_Raven hair_

_And blue eyes  
_

_

* * *

_"Good afternoon, Kouichi." As always, Satomi sounded like a graceful lullaby, even over the phone. Kouichi privately enjoyed listening to that voice. It wasn't quite as motherly as he was used to, but it was still nice. She should have been a singer.

"Hello, Satomi-san. Did you need something?"

"Is your mother in?"

"Yeah, she is. Hold on." He gave his favorite parent an enthusiastic wave, even though she was standing right in front of him. "Mother?"

She covered her mouth with one hand to stifle the laughter and took the phone with the other. "Hello, Satomi?"

Kouichi left the room so that his mother could talk in peace, all the while wondering how she could stand to be friends with the wife of her ex-husband. If it had been him in the same situation, would he have been nearly as forgiving? Probably not. The very idea made his stomach sink to the ground. He hoped to god that he would never have the chance to find out. The possibility was quiet but invasive, burrowing into the back of his head, sinking its deadly claws into his happiness. The taste of it lingered on his tongue whenever he had the misfortune of talking to his father. Mimi was a sweet girl. He couldn't ask for better. Why was he still thinking about it?

He wasn't his father. Not even close.

Why was he still thinking about it?

The divorce happened nearly twenty years ago.

Why was he still thinking about it?

It wasn't even his fault. Not to say that it was his father's, either. Up until his college years, Kouichi had been perfectly happy to blame his father for the mess that their family had become. Now, he wasn't so sure.

As far as he knew, his mother had never reconciled with the man, even to this day. It made for awkward get-togethers, sometimes, but awkwardness was unavoidable in that half of his family no matter what he or his mother did to alleviate the tension. He would've been ready to give up on his father entirely if it hadn't been for Kouji. Honestly, he was willing to put up with just about anyone if it meant he could spend more time with his beloved little brother.

Although said little brother was currently ignoring him. That was pretty confusing, but it was also pretty solvable, unlike his other problems. Kouichi picked up the phone with the full intention of calling Kouji and demanding an explanation. The screen lit up and a tiny icon appeared, informing him that he had missed twelve calls in the past hour.

From Mimi.

Oh, great.

A ball of guilt twisted in his gut. He decided to set aside some time to call her later. Then he picked up the phone, fully intending to dial his brother's number, only to realize that he didn't know it. Kouji changed cell phones every month or so, for reasons unknown to everyone else. Kouichi usually defaulted to asking his brother's secretary for the latest number every time they went without talking for a while. Unfortunately, it was late at night, and Nikara only worked in the afternoon...

The phone began to ring. Mimi. Again. Really, was the whole world conspiring against him today? He picked up and made an effort to sound normal for her sake. "Hey."

"Kouichi! Where were you? I called you fifteen times!"

"Actually, it was only twelve."

There was disbelieving silence on the other end. Then Mimi repeated, very slowly, "Only twelve?"

"I'm sorry," Kouichi said.

She sighed. "It's okay. I'm sure you had a good reason."

"I did," he confirmed, without explaining. He knew she would make all the right assumptions.

"Oh, I see."

Kouichi paused awkwardly, wondering if he could say anything to make her feel better. "Mother's doing well," he offered weakly.

"Is she still sick?"

"Yeah."

"How bad? I mean, she looked alright when I came over."

"It's nothing too serious, but the doctor told her to get some rest. I'm just here to make sure she doesn't try to do any work."

Mimi giggled. "You're a lot like her, you know that?"

"She did raise me." Alone, at that. Once upon a time, he would have felt bitter about the years of single parenthood his mother suffered, but not anymore. It wasn't like he envied Kouji's life. There was more to a good childhood than having plenty of money.

"I know," his fiancee said, sounding a little put off. "I hope your mother feels better soon. She's so nice."

"Not exactly the evil mother-in-law you were afraid of?"

"Hey! What - I thought - hey!"

"Hey yourself." Kouichi laughed at her sputtering protests. "I still can't believe you thought she was a madwoman."

"Well, she _looked_ like one in the picture!"

"It's a bad picture, I told you. She was sick at the time."

"I didn't think she would look _that_ different in person! Oh, shoot, I didn't mean to say that." Mimi cut herself off frantically.

Kouichi laughed and laughed until tears squeezed from his eyes. "Don't worry. I won't tell her a thing."

Mimi huffed. "You better not."

"Oh," he lowered his voice dramatically, "but what if she already knows?"

"She'd have to be a mind-reader."

"You know, she gets pretty close sometimes."

"Like when?" Mimi scoffed playfully.

"Like when she asked if I was dating anyone - before I ever mentioned you."

"Well, does she usually ask?"

"No. She could tell."

"She could _tell_?"

"My mother knows me really well."

"Oh. That's...good."

"Of course. Of course, it's not so good when you're trying to keep secrets. She's got a supernatural sense for lying."

The girl was silent for so long that Kouichi wondered if the line had gone dead. "Kouichi, you're just teasing me, right? I mean, she doesn't really know...right?"

"Would you be surprised if she did?"

"Oh - I mean - there's no way - right? Right? Kouichi?"

Kouichi wondered if he had pushed the teasing too far. He had a persistent fear of doing that, ever since their first argument. It wasn't easy to talk to her as a fiancé. "Mimi?"

"Yeah?" She was holding her breath. It made him cringe. He shouldn't have dragged the joke out.

"Mother doesn't know."

"Oh!" Her breath whooshed out loudly. "Thank god."

"Were you actually worried?"

"Of course I was! Sometimes it's hard to tell when you're joking, Kouichi."

"Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay."

"Honestly, Mimi, I'm really sorry."

"Why?"

"Because I took the joke too far?"

"No, no, it was fine..."

"No, it's not. I do that too much."

"I like your jokes, Kouichi. Even when they're a little mean..."

"Mean?" His mind shuddered to a stop. Oops. Maybe he should have been more discreet.

"Yeah, a little, but that's just part of your sense of humor. People get used to it."

"They do?"

"Of course."

"Oh."

"Yeah. You probably got it from your brother. That's what I think."

Kouichi choked.

Taking his silence for agreement, Mimi went on. "You know, I don't mind it. I think that you're a lot more honest that way. Some people think you're too nice for your own good, but that's not true, is it?"

"Mimi..."

"If you were _too nice_," she said decisively, "you wouldn't be mad at your father at all."

What could he say to something like that? Kouichi didn't know whether to be flattered that she understood him so well or mortified that she had noticed in the first place.

"Kouichi," her voice was soft and gentle and kind, and it made him want to hang up, "it's okay. I already know. It's okay."

"...Oh, Mimi," he murmured with his forehead pressed tightly to his palm. "Sometimes your woman's intuition terrifies me."

"Sometimes," she retorted lightly, "your family terrifies me, too."

"Hey, at least my mother's not terrifying at all."

"But what about everyone else?"

"Hmm, well, my father might kill you with his stoicism, my other grandparents are even worse than _him_, and you already know about my brother."

"Oh, god."

"And let's not forget about my great-aunt..."

"What's wrong with your great-aunt?"

"Well, she treated me like a servant for a year until my father told her that I was her great-nephew."

"And what did she do?"

"Oh, boy, what _didn't_ she do?" Kouichi groaned at the memories. "Short of running me out of the family, she really pulled out all the stops. I think the worst was when she told the butler - "

"Please don't tell me. I don't want to think about dealing with her. The rest of your family is awkward enough."

"All of them?"

"Pretty much. The whole party was like a ball of awkwardness."

"I thought you enjoyed yourself."

"Only after your mother started talking to me. Oh, by the way, you _still_ haven't finished telling me the story."

"Story? Oh, that story," he mumbled, surprised at himself for forgetting. It wasn't like him to miss an opportunity to embarrass his brother - lovingly, of course. "Do you want me to tell you now?"

"I can't even remember where we left off," she replied.

"I can't either," he admitted. Mimi laughed. "Do you want me to tell you the basic gist of what happened?"

"Couldn't hurt."

"Okay." Deep breath. "Long story short, Kaori – the girl – wakes up after fainting on us, and it turns out that she sent out a massive survey asking _Which twin is cuter._ To the entire school."

"Oh god." Mimi gave out a few muffled giggles.

"And the results were exactly even."

Her giggles weren't quite so muffled now.

"So, she had to find another voter, but she didn't want to ask a guy."

"So she asked your _mother_."

"Well, there was some context, too, because her friends dared her to do it. I think it's a good story anyway."

"It's an incredibly good story," she agreed haltingly, interspersed with laughing fits.

"Glad you like it."

"Do you have any others?"

"None that I can think of off the top of my head. Well, none that you would like."

"How do you know? Maybe I'll like them."

"No, no, you won't. I almost guarantee it." Kouichi sighed. "It wouldn't really suit you."

Mimi was challenging. "But how do you know that?"

"No reason in particular, really." Kouichi thrummed his fingers on the table. "They're a little unsettling, I guess. Kouji-stories usually are."

"Oh."

"Yeah. How was your day, Mimi? I almost forgot to ask."

"It was good. Izumi and I went shopping."

"To buy what?"

"Dresses, of course!" Mimi retorted disapprovingly. "What else does that girl need?"

"A better job," Kouichi replied in his best deadpan.

"Well, besides that."

"What? A better job is plenty important. Just look at me."

"Kouichi, that's different. You have a good job, but a really horrible _manager_. It's not your fault that you have to take care of your mother."

"Yeah," he muttered, "I know. He's probably going to fire me sometime next week for taking too many days off."

"You'll find a better job. Well, no, actually, you'll find a better _manager_."

"I hope so." Kouichi sighed heavily. "It's been such a bad month."

Mimi murmured reassuringly on the other end, "That's okay. You should take it easy. Come taste cake with me or something."

"I'd like to, but I don't know when I'll have the time." He took a deep breath. "Kind of like the wedding, Mimi."

Her breath caught a little. "What about the wedding?"

"I don't think this year's going to be good for it."

"Kouichi, it's not even July yet. How do you know?"

"Well..." He winced. Now would have been a wonderful time to switch bodies with his twin. Kouji was so much better at delivering bad news without flinching.

"Kouichi!"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's not about being sorry!" Mimi sucked in a deep breath on the other end. "It's not - "

"Look," he interrupted her for the first time since they started dating, "I said I was sorry. I know it's a really stupid thing to ask, but could you please listen to me?"

She was surprised, he could tell. Surprised, not angry. Good.

"I'm really happy with you, Mimi." Kouichi subconsciously clenched his fists. "I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend – or fiancée, for that matter."

Mimi mumbled something that sounded vaguely like a _thank you_.

"You're welcome," Kouichi almost said, "so let's get married as soon as possible."

Almost.

But that would have been extremely naïve.

Instead, he said, "I love you, I really do, but I don't think we should get married this year. Not unless a miracle happens. I don't have the time, or the money, or even the right state of mind to get married right now. When we have the wedding, I want things to be stable…for both of us. It's not just about my mother, or about my job, or about school, or about anything specific. It's about all of it. There's so much to deal with, and I want to _enjoy_ getting married. Let's wait." There. Nice and determined and sensible.

Mimi was silent. Completely, utterly silent. Then, very softly, she said, "Let's talk about this later."

"Mimi - "

"It's okay. I'm not mad. Good night." She hung up.

Kouichi listened to the steady beeping noise after the line was cut off and he cursed. Since there was no way Mimi would listen to him tonight if she was truly upset, he dialed the last number he remembered for Kouji, just to double check. Still no reply. God, he was worried.

Yes, he was actually getting _worried_. Why did two of the most important people in his life make him suffer so much? Kouichi paced up and down the room until the light from the window hit him directly in the eye one too many times. He glared at the glass accusingly. A tiny white speck of dust glared back. He rubbed it off with his thumb and winced at the loud squeaking sound.

"Kouichi?"

He jolted. "Mother, why are you still up? The doctor told you to rest!"

"I just said goodbye to Satomi." Kimura Tomoko gave her son a gentle smile. "Kouichi, you don't need to worry about me. It's just a little fever."

"Which is why you need to go back to bed. You'll recover faster."

"Hmm, well, I couldn't sleep." His mother sat down in the living room sofa and patted the space next to her. "I was thinking."

"Mother…"

"Oh!" She looked slightly embarrassed. "Nothing like that. I was thinking about work. Did you call Kouji yet?"

"Yeah, I called him."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't pick up. Actually, he hasn't been picking up for weeks." Kouichi ran a frustrated hand through his bangs again. "I need to ask Nikara if he's changed phones."

Tomoko sighed and took a comb from the coffee table. Then she smoothed it over Kouichi's rumpled black hair. "I'm sure he's just busy."

"That's the problem. If he hasn't been answering _my_ calls, what are the chances that he's been answering _anyone's_?"

"Kouji will talk when he's ready." His mother looked like a serene, unearthly spirit perched lightly on the couch.

Kouichi envied her calmness, but not too much. There was something to be said for getting into other people's business. There was also something to be said for having people who were willing to listen to _his_ business.

* * *

Summer, for all its benefits of beautiful weather and free time, was going to be one of the most aggravating times of her life. Izumi could just feel it. It started out as a tiny niggling sensation, but by the time breakfast rolled around, the caterpillars in her stomach were finishing metamorphosis. With her nerves strained as it was, even the sound of the dripping sink made her jump.

Not to mention the constantly ringing telephone.

"Hello, Mimi?" she chirped into the mouthpiece after her heart stopped jumping around frantically. Even though it was only ten o'clock in the morning, she had already received more than four phone calls from Mimi. Stupid, stubborn Kouichi…

"Izumi," sang Mimi from the other end, with a suspiciously light-hearted attitude. Their last call – half an hour ago – had been full of tears and ranting. Izumi's haywire nerves made a comeback. "How long do you think that an engagement should be?"

"Wha…" she stammered, slightly horrified. Mentally, she cursed Kouichi for making this an issue at all. "Maybe a year?"

"A _year_?" Mimi sounded sugar sweet.

Izumi wasn't fooled. "At least a year. That's what I would want, anyway." Not that she had even begun to think so far ahead. For now, it was enough to say that she was on the right track. Maybe. Urgh. It was all Kouichi's fault for pointing out the possibility. She was starting to feel less than charitable toward the older twin's habit of meddling with her relationships.

Mimi sighed so hard that the phone line was nothing but static for a while. Izumi held it away from her ear and winced. "You're no fun, Izumi-chan."

"Don't call me that. It makes me sound like a little kid."

"Aren't you?"

Izumi nearly dropped the phone. "_What_?"

"Kidding, just kidding. Why do you sound so nervous?"

"I guess I'm just tired," she mumbled, hooking the cell phone under her chin so that she could keep washing the dishes.

"Did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"No, it wasn't your fault. I woke up by myself." It was only a half-lie. Izumi had a bad habit of getting up before her alarm, turning it off, and going back to sleep. Technically speaking, she _did_ wake up by herself.

"I'm still sorry."

"Hey, don't worry about it. If you really want to show me how sorry you are, you should get me some of that really good Italian pasta down the road."

"I will," Mimi promised resolutely. "And I'll pay."

"Great. We can have a girls' night out."

"Yeah, it'll be just like old times!"

"Minus my roommate."

"Oh, right, she went off to Macedonia, didn't she?"

"I still don't see the point of that," Izumi muttered. "She could have had a perfectly good time right here. It's so expensive to travel to Europe."

"Well, some people like it." Mimi paused before asking accusingly, "Hey, weren't you _born_ in Europe?"

"Italy, yeah," Izumi glanced at the pictures on her refrigerator longingly. In some ways, she was incredibly jealous that Juri could go on such a long trip without having to worry about anything, courtesy of her travelling parents. Izumi herself hadn't gone back to Italy for years. Ah, well. Così è la vita.

"Don't you wanna go back?"

"Of course, but I can't."

"Yeah, I guess not." Mimi became very quiet. "You know, I kind of wanted to go to Italy sometime…to see the Vatican. And eat gelato."

Izumi grinned slightly. "Which one is more important? The Vatican or gelato?"

"Oooh…er."

They laughed.

"No worries, Mimi," the blond girl said brightly, "I'm sure you'll get to eat gelato sometime before the world ends."

"Hey, _I_ didn't say that gelato was more important than the Vatican. You put the words in my mouth!"

"Well, do you _really_ want to see the Vatican?"

"Hm…"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Izumi! That's not fair! I wouldn't mind going there."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't really appreciate it as much." Izumi stopped mid-step on her way out of the kitchen, struck by an incredibly good idea. "Hey. Come by my house sometime. My mother makes really nice homemade gelato."

"Homemade? Dang."

"Yeah, I know, right?" She sighed. "Great, now I'm homesick."

"Don't be homesick, you have a lot of work to do, young lady!" Mimi was huffy and scolding. "I need my girlfriends around or I'll be bored all summer."

"I know. I'll try not to think about it. My parents don't want me home too soon, either. I'd have to sleep on the couch."

"Right…whose brilliant idea was it to renovate your room right before the break?"

"That'd be my dad."

"Well, he shouldn't have done that."

"Maybe you should tell him off," she replied, only half-joking. "Did I ever tell you how scary your angry face is?"

"It's not scary! Besides, I don't get mad that often, right?"

Izumi stayed silent, deliberately.

Mimi sighed. "Aw. Fine."

"Don't worry," she said teasingly, "Everyone loves you just the way you are. Silly tantrums and all."

Mimi actually laughed out loud, a clear ringing sound that surprised Izumi. "You really don't mind the silly tantrums?"

"Well, it's more like I got used to them."

"You're so mean, Izumi!"

"Haha. Hey, Mimi, you're not depressed anymore, are you?"

"No, I'm not!" There was a loud huffing sound. "I'm really, really, really mad. I mean, he has a point – I can wait if he really needs time – but I could _help_ him with some of those problems. He doesn't have to deal with it on his own. I wish he would realize that."

"I don't blame you. Please don't yell Kouichi to death – I've got things to say to him too."

"Okay, I'll try not to."

They laughed together. Izumi's nervous, fidgety feeling started to retreat. "You should call him later. Give it some time. You don't want to break down again."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for listening to me this morning, Izumi."

"That's what friends are for." Izumi resisted the urge to smile at a job well done. Kouichi should be able to take over from there – and maybe the two would have a good long talk, the kind that they really needed at a time like this. Now was not the time to doubt herself for trying to help out, even if it had been one of her long-held beliefs that exclusive relationships were just that - exclusive. As long as she didn't have to do _too_ much to save their engagement, Izumi could make an exception for her best friends. A light push or shove – that was fine. If they broke up _now_, it would be because of some inherent flaw in their relationship. Izumi wasn't in the habit of trying to fix things that couldn't be fixed.

In the end, she couldn't do very much at all…

There was a very long pause in the conversation. A sudden beep outside drew her attention to the window, where the traffic was slowing down to a crawl. It wasn't rush hour yet, so she figured that the cars had been stopped by an accident of some sort. Another ear-piercing chorus of car horns – along with the sound of sirens – confirmed it.

"Izumi, what was that?" Mimi's voice interrupted her silent reverie.

"Nothing," she said quickly, squinting to see past the crowded street. "Looks like there's something going on in the street."

"Oh," came the unconcerned reply. "Okay. Um, have you already spoken to Kouichi?"

"Nope. If I do, then he's going to know that something's up." Was that a motorcycle? The brilliant daylight obscured most of the street beyond the closest intersection. Izumi tried to find her sunglasses – for curiosity's sake, if nothing else. "I'm going to leave the rest to you. Good luck, okay?"

"But he's so stubborn," Mimi protested. "Can't you help me out a little?"

"I already did. I listened to you for a whole hour."

"Please?"

"Mimi, seriously, it's not going to kill you to wait for a while, right? Getting engaged is a big step. If you rush things, it's not going to be pretty. At all." There was silence on the other end. Izumi wondered if the cacophony of horns outside was bothering Mimi on the other line, so she kicked on a pair of white sandals and moved into the slightly quieter hallway.

"Am I selfish?" the other girl asked monotonically.

"What?"

"Do you think that I'm selfish? I just want to get married as soon as possible. I mean…I'm _ready_. We've been dating for almost two years now. Isn't that enough?" Mimi's voice was very soft, like a feathery tuft of down.

"I don't think that's the problem." Izumi tried to sound as reassuring as she could, even on the verge of pulling her hair out. She wasn't a relationship counselor – really, she wasn't. "You _do_ want a nice, fancy wedding, right? That takes time. And money. And you don't have a lot of either."

"That's what the summer is for!"

Izumi started laughing. And then she couldn't stop.

Mimi sputtered indignantly on the other line. "Izumi! I'm trying to be serious here!"

Serious? Izumi nearly died. Her ribs ached from laughing so much, but it was just too ridiculous. "Mimi, you want to earn enough money for the wedding in _three months_?"

"No-o-o!" Mimi's reply sounded like a rebuke. "I want to plan it all out by the time summer's over. I don't get to see Kouichi enough during the school year."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Izumi covered her mouth to muffle the snickers. "Do you know why he wants to delay the wedding?"

"Not really. We didn't talk too much last week because of exams. In fact, he didn't tell me that he was having second thoughts until last night." Mimi paused and concluded triumphantly, "But I have free time on Monday! And he doesn't have work then, either. We'll meet up at the park."

"Lucky you. Are you going to wait until then to talk to him?"

"I'll try. I mean, it's easier to rant at him in person, you know."

"Good luck."

"Thanks. Are you going to come?" Mimi sounded entirely too hopeful for Izumi to reject her directly, despite the tiny voice in her head that asked what on _earth_ she was planning to do as the third wheel.

Besides, it would be boring to stay at home all the time. A few outings every now and then would keep things exciting.

"Sure."


End file.
